Terry Watson, Carmin Wong to lead ’What is Justice‘: Disability, Justice and Community Poetry Workshop 

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (Wednesday, Aug. 19)— Local poets are invited to register for workshops and a public event that celebrates the use of words for good. The “What is Justice”: Disability, Justice and Community Poetry Workshop series features two workshops starting Sept. 2 and culminates in a public performance Sept. 16.

Award-winning author and poet Terry Watson and State College’s inaugural Poet Laureate Carmin Wong will lead the workshops and public event aimed at exploring how poetry can be a tool for healing, resistance, community building and social change.

The workshop series is free and open to the public but limited to 14 participants. Participants are asked to attend both in-person workshops and a free public performance in September.

New and experienced writers are welcome. The events are all free, but registration is required.

The Center for the Performing Arts is a part of the Penn State College of Arts & Architecture.

‘What is Justice’ poetry events

“What is Justice”: Disability, Justice and Community Poetry Workshop Series

Part 1: “Reading, Reflection and Discovery”

6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 2

Sun Room, Schlow Centre Region Library, 211 S. Allen St., State College

Join award-winning author and poet Terry Watson and State College’s inaugural Poet Laureate Carmin Wong for a unique community-centered examination of words, storytelling, disability, race and justice.

”Reading, Reflection, and Discovery” will explore poetry within the disability and racial justice diasporas by examining intersectionality as a theme. Participants will share "What Is My Story?" writing and reflection exercises and discussions.

The workshop series is free and open to the public but limited to 14 participants. Registration is required. Visit Poetry Workshop Part 1 for more information and to register.

“What is Justice”: Disability, Justice and Community Poetry Workshop Series

Part 2: “Finding Our Voice”

6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 9

Sun Room, Schlow Centre Region Library, 211 S. Allen St., State College

”Finding Our Voice” will reflect on selected poems and the stories they tell and how they help us to process and understand the world. Participants will discuss techniques to translate lived experience into creative work and will begin the process of developing personal narratives through poetry.

The workshop series is free and open to the public but limited to 14 participants. Registration is required. Visit Poetry Workshop Part 2 for more information and to register.

“What is Justice” Community Poetry Performance and Celebration

6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16

Livestreamed and at 3 Dots Downtown, 137 E. Beaver Ave., State College

Celebrate the power of poetry to build connection, understanding, and belonging. The What is Justice Community Poetry Performance and Celebration highlights the work of activist-writers in State College and the Centre Region. Poets and speakers will share original work and engage in collective storytelling and reflection.

The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Attendees can watch in person at 3 Dots Downtown or via a livestream.

Visit Poetry Performance for more details and to register.

Facilitator information

Terry Watson serves as the director of Penn State's Office of Accessibility and Inclusion within the Chaiken Center for Student Success, and he is the founder of Strategies for Justice. Watson is the author of the multi-award-winning book “Welcome to the Sick Mind of a Sane Person: Deconstructing Racism and White Supremacy,” which explores racism and its impact on the mind through stories, essays, and poetry.

Carmin Wong brings her commitment to community poetry, cultural engagement and creative expression to this collaborative workshop experience. Wong is a Guyanese-born poet-organizer, playwright, and dual-title doctoral candidate in English literature and African-American and Diaspora studies at Penn State. Wong was appointed the 2025 inaugural Poet Laureate of State College.

For fans of

Poetry slams and open mics

Editorial activism and creative writing

Social justice and civil-rights advocacy

Disability in the arts

Cultural intersectionalism

Find us

The Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State, a unit of the College of Art & Architecture, aspires to create connected, sustainable, and equitable communities, where everyone experiences joy, belonging and creativity.

For more information about the season, visit the Center for the Performing Arts online, Facebook and Instagram.