The nation’s first academic center for Black poetry. Established in honor of Gwendolyn Brooks to preserve, celebrate, and support the Black poetic tradition.
Are you a JMU student with a passion for poetry, Black culture, and arts administration? Support the nation's first academic center for Black Poetry and apply to the Carmen R. Gillespie Fellowship!
Head over to the link in our bio for more info!
#JMU27#JMU28#JMU29#JMU30
The Fight & The Fiddle just dropped!
The Spring 2026 Issue features Krista Franklin and includes:
- an exclusive interview
- a critical review of her work
- new poems
- a prompt to spark your experimentation
Link in our bio.
#LiteraryJournal#BlackPoetry#Poetry
Congratulations to Wes Matthews, winner of the 2026 Furious Flower Poetry Prize, & honorable mention, Sherina Rodriguez Sharpe!
Both will read at the Poetry Prize Reading in Sept. & their work will feature in Obsidian with the finalists.
#PoetryPrize#BlackPoetry#Poetry
We are excited to share that our Executive Director, Lauren K. Alleyne, is the recipient of the Joseph Brodsky Rome Prize in Literature from the American Academy in Rome!
We are so proud of you, Lauren!
We invite you to help us celebrate the close of this chapter at our Farewell to Cardinal House Picnic!
Friday, May 1st | 5:00 PM | 500 Cardinal Drive
Do not miss this moment. Come be part of Furious Flower history!
#ThingstoDoHarrisonburg#JMU26#JMU27#JMU28#JMU29
TODAY!!
Join us for an evening of live poetry with Kadija George Sesay.
Come for the snacks and stay for the live poetry!
All are welcome!
Can’t make it in person? This reading will be livestreamed on our Facebook page.
#HarrisonburgEvents#PoetryReading#JMU
Furious Flower Executive Director Lauren K. Alleyne read a dedicated piece at the inauguration of James Madison University's 7th President, James C. Schmidt, last Wednesday, April 8th, 2026.
Photo courtesy of James Madison University
#JMU#BlackPoetry
It's Student Employee Appreciation Week at JMU! This brilliant bunch contributes so much to the Furious Flower team and mission, all while balancing their respective graduate and undergraduate senior studies! Join us in giving flowers to our student employees!
#JMU#JMU26
Come for the snacks, stay for the live poetry, and leave with a signed book. We can’t wait to see you there!
Thursday, April 23, 2026 | 5 PM
Taylor Hall, Room 405
No prior experience with poetry is necessary. All are welcome.
#HarrisonburgEvents#PoetryReading#JMU
Missed last week’s National Poetry Month workshops? There’s still time to join us!
Saturday, April 11 | 1–3 PM | @massanuttenregionallibrary
Registration is required; sign up through the link in our bio.
#JMU#ThingsToDoHarrisonburg#ThingsToDoShenandoah#PoetryWorkshop
The next issue of The Fight & The Fiddle is almost here, and we can’t wait to share it with you later this month.
Until then, you can explore our back issues on The Fight & The Fiddle site, link in bio!
#LiteraryJournal#BlackPoetry#BlackPoets#PoetryCraft#Poetry