Black History Month Playlist 2026
A playlist for Black History Month, featuring poets Cortney Lamar Charleston, Christian J. Collier, Saddiq Dzukogi, Chiagoziem Jideofor, william o'neal ii, and February Spikener.
Betsy Mitchell Martinez – Self-Portrait as Frida Kahlo with Prickly Pear [Shō Poetry Prize Winner]
Read “Self-Portrait as Frida Kahlo with Prickly Pear” by Betsy Mitchell Martinez, one of three poems chosen for the Shō Poetry Prize for Shō No. 8 (Winter 2025/2026).
Cheyenne C. Fletcher – Lady of the Holler [Winner of the Sita Martin Prize]
Read “Lady of the Holler” by Cheyenne C. Fletcher. “Lady of the Holler,” “Obit #1,” and “Obit #2” were selected for the Sita Martin Prize for Shō No. 8.
Rebecca Morton – Uncertainty Principle [Shō Poetry Prize Runner-Up]
Read “Uncertainty Principle” by Rebecca Morton, runner-up of the Shō Poetry Prize for Shō No. 8 (Winter 2025/26).
Rukan Saif — Harami Ghazal [Sita Martin Prize Runner-Up]
Read and listen to “Harami Ghazal” by Rukan Saif, chosen as the runner-up of the Sita Martin Prize for Shō No. 8 (Winter 2025/2026).
Carlos Andrés Gómez: Masked
Read “Masked” by Carlos Andrés Gómez, published in Shō No. 8 (Winter 2025/26), accompanied by an audio recording by the author.
Chen Chen: That Time You Were Giggling, Giggling, Giggling
Listen to Chen Chen read his poem “That Time You Were Gigging, Giggling, Giggling,” published in Shō No. 8 (Winter 2025/26).
Elizabeth Loudon: Renunciation
Read and listen to Elizabeth Loudon read her poem “Renunciation,” published in Shō No. 8 (Winter 2025/26). “Renunciation” was selected by guest editor Cecily Parks for inclusion in Best New Poets 2025.