Drawing from my life and repertoire as a Black gay poet and jazz bass clarinetist, I present a dynamic solo performance of liberational truth telling, collaboratively pairing the call of my poetry with the intuitive responses of the soprano and bass clarinet, and additional instrumentation. Along with the music and poetry, I further extend the experience visually with my own self-designed hats and attire. As is the tradition of all Black and queer artistry, my work summons the soul to be held, heard, and seen.

Bio: Former Poet Laureate of Belfast, Maine, poet, bass clarinetist, and composer Toussaint St. Negritude conjures whole liberations in full tempo. US Poet Laureate Gwendolyn Brooks described his work as "full of sweet sounds and surprises." Originally from San Francisco, Toussaint has lived and broadly thrived across the African Diaspora, from the sacred mountains of Haiti to the Coltrane District of North Philadelphia. He, along with bassist Gahlord Dewald, is the leader of the band Jaguar Stereo!, a free-form ensemble of his own poetry and improvisational jazz, and his works have been widely published and recorded for over 40 years. On an alpine sanctuary facing east, Toussaint St. Negritude continues to thrive in the farthest elevations of Vermont's Northeast Kingdom.