ABOUT US
The Spirit of the Harlem Renaissance: Poetry Reading and Celebration
Our Conception
The Tea & Verse Poetry Salon was founded in April 2018. We hosted our first event, A Blues Poetry Workshop, at The Four Seasons Tea Room in Sierra Madre, CA.
Our formation was inspired by artist salons of the Black Cultural Renaissances of the 20th century that emerged in cities across the U.S., such as the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s. These salons provided opportunities for artists, who were systemically overlooked and under-resourced in their fields of practice, to showcase their works and talents and receive patronage.
In keeping with that tradition, since our inaugural event, we have endeavored to sponsor and develop programming and events that honor unsung poets and artists; encourage artistic collaboration; provide a platform for bourgeoning and seasoned writers and performers to share their work and connect with members of their communities; provide workshops to nurture writers; and present works that call for social justice, equity and change.
Our Conviction
We believe that poetry can serve as a source of inspiration; be a viewfinder to gain an empathetic perspective into common human experiences; and act as a listening room—resonating truths, concerns, and hopes for the future.
We believe that expanding the presence of poetry in everyday life and culture will be vital to help undergird the collective comfort, hope, and vision for the future as our communities face new frontiers of political, economic, and global change.
Our Commitment
To center independent artists and to be a nurturing space for aspiring writers and artists of all ages.
J. Colbert is the founder and curator of the Tea & Verse Poetry Salon. She is a writer and performer raised in Pasadena, CA. She studied English Literature—complemented by course in choral, vocal jazz, music composition, and musical theater—at California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA) for her undergraduate and graduate degrees.
Colbert’s course of study, academic mentorship by Dr. Lauri Scheyer, and the university’s Center for Poetics had a profound influence on shaping her writing and performance style. She counts Nikki Giovanni, Sonia Sanchez, Wanda Coleman, Will Alexander, and Kwame Alexander among her influences.
In 2012, Colbert released her first poetry collection, Two Sides of the Same Hunger. The book launch was comprised of a performance of poems and original music.
In addition to writing and performance, Colbert has provided literacy support, creative writing instruction, and consulting for writers of all ages. She has taught adjunct courses in English at Pasadena City College; she has served as a ghostwriter for self-help, theological, and inspirational titles; and she has also volunteered for organizations such as Reading Partners Los Angeles and the United Way.
In April 2018, she founded the Tea & Verse Poetry Salon. In 2019, Fulcrum Arts accepted the organization into its Emerge Fiscal Sponsorship Program.
