Craft Talk with Detroit Poet Laureate jessica Care moore and WMU professor Alen Hamza

Join KPF for the 2026 Craft Talk between jessica Care moore and Alen Hamza, moderated by Dane Hudson. Stay for a short coffee break, before the Finale Poetry Reading at 5pm.

This event takes place upstairs at the Epic Center, in the Cori Terry Theatre.

jessica Care moore:

jessica Care moore is an award-winning poet, recording artist, book publisher, activist, cultural arts curator, and filmmaker who has become one of the leading voices of her generation; she is Detroit’s Poet Laureate (appointed in 2024), the Executive Producer and Founder of the 20-year-old rock & roll concert and empowerment weekend Daughters of Betty – Powered by Black WOMEN Rock!, founder of The Moore Art House 501(c)(3), and the founder of Moore Black Press, which has published poets including Saul Williams, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, asha bandele, and Danny Simmons; she has recorded her poetry with Hip Hop legends like Common, Nas, Jeezy, Talib Kweli, Karriem Riggins, Jeff Mills, The Last Poets, Jose James, and Roy Ayers, is the author of *The Words Don’t Fit in My Mouth*, *The Alphabet Verses The Ghetto*, *God is Not an American*, *Sunlight Through Bullet Holes* and *We Want Our Bodies Back*, and her poetry and voice are featured on the 4th floor of the Smithsonian’s New National Museum of African American History.

Alen Hamza:

Alen Hamza immigrated to the United States from Bosnia-Herzegovina as a refugee at the age of fifteen. He is the author of Twice There Was a Country, chosen by Brenda Hillman as the winner of the CSU Poetry Center First Book Award. His poems have appeared widely in literary journals, including AGNI, The Southern Review, Waxwing, Fence, and The Missouri Review. He has an MFA from the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas at Austin and a PhD in Literature and Creative Writing from the University of Utah. He has received fellowships from the Michener Center for Writers, the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, and the University of Utah. Hamza lives in Kalamazoo, where he is an assistant professor of English and Creative Writing at Western Michigan University.

About Dane:
Healing, accountability, and belonging are at the heart of everything I do. As a non-binary, Black masc-identified creative and community organizer born and raised in Detroit, I’ve spent over 15 years helping organizations and individuals navigate the hard work of transformation. My experience spans nonprofit and for-profit spaces, where I specialize in facilitating training, developing curriculum, and shifting organizational cultures to center inclusion and belonging. A graduate of Western Michigan University with a degree in Organizational Communication, my work emphasizes the importance of intentionality, equity, and sustainable change.

As a writer, poet, and spoken word artist, I use storytelling and creativity to build connection and inspire action. I’ve taught poetry workshops in alternative learning settings, juvenile homes, and after-school programs, and I’ve curated spaces for open expression through hosting open mic events. Grounded in my lived experiences—including overcoming homelessness and mental health challenges—I approach every aspect of my work with empathy, authenticity, and a commitment to collective healing.