Monica Lee Weatherly
Monica Lee Weatherly is winner of the Willie Morris Award for Southern Poetry and author of the recently published chapbook It Felt Like Mississippi—a celebration of the impact of memories and experiences of living in the South.
Weatherly will be reading from her poetry at Sandies at the Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce (711 Bladen St.) on Friday, February 3, at 5:30 p.m. Hosted by the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center, this event is free and open to the public. Books will be available for sale and signing. Sandies will be open for dine-in or take-out dinner that evening.
The following morning, Saturday, February 4, from 10:00 to noon, Weatherly will teach a ticketed writing workshop, Narrative Poetry and the Oral Tradition of Storytelling, at the Conroy Center (601 Bladen St.) This interactive writing class explores the art of storytelling through verse. Participants of all experience levels are invited to learn the history of narrative poetry and develop skills to create poetry that combines the rhythmical qualities of language with the traditional elements of a story including, character, plot, structure and theme. Limited to 15 participants, $45/person. Advance registration is required at https://patconroyliterarycenter.eventbrite.com.
Monica Lee Weatherly is a poet, writer, and a professor of English at Georgia State University (Perimeter College). Her poem, “If I Had My Grandmama’s Praise” was the 2021 winner of the Willie Morris Prize for Southern Poetry. She is the author of a chapbook of poetry, It Felt Like Mississippi. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in numerous literary journals, including Tulane Review, Plainsongs Magazine, Nzuri Journal, Merge Literary Magazine, Obsidian, South Florida Poetry Journal, and Auburn Avenue, a biannual publication showcasing the intellectual and creative voices of people of color. She is a member of the Georgia Writers Association and is listed in the Georgia Writers Registry. Her writing often focuses on the culture and experiences of women of color in the American South. She currently lives in a small suburb outside of Atlanta.
The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center is open to the public for free tours on Thursdays through Sundays, noon to 4:00 p.m., and other times by appointment. Learn more at www.patconroyliterarycenter.org.
