A READING and GENERATIVE POETRY WRITING WORKSHOP
CELEBRATING LANGSTON HUGHES
Featuring: Nico Penaranda | Kanikki Jakarta | Walker Valdez
Hosted by Regie Cabico of Story Tapestries
Story Tapestries presents an afternoon of spoken word poetry honoring Langston Hughes and celebrating DC’s cultural diversity. The reading is followed by a generative writing workshop led by Regie Cabico, followed by an open mic where we will write together and share our poetry in a nurturing environment.
This event is for all ages and poets of all levels and is funded by DC Public Library, Humanities DC and co-sponsored by Busboys and Poets
Details:
Register: bit.ly/4nxrE5H
Admission: Free
Saturday | October 11th, 2025 | 4:00 – 6:00 PM
Busboys and Poets – Brookland
625 Monroe Street NE
Washington, DC 20017
KaNikki Jakarta has been featured on NBC, WUSA9, and Comcast. She is the Inaugural Poet In Residence for Northern Virginia Fine Arts Association. She is an Award-Winning Performance Poet and an Amazon best-selling author who has toured the US and the UK. KaNikki is the First Black Poet Laureate of Alexandria, Virginia, the author of three novels, two poetry collections, a memoir, a short story, and a poetry collection entitled ALABAMA GIRL, VIRGINIA WOMAN. She can be found on the social media platform @kanikkiJ
Walker (Walpoet) Valdez is a Bolivian American spoken word poet who has performed throughout the DC area, including the Studio Theatre, Gala Hispanic Theatre, and the Rayburn House Office Building. His work appears in the “Mid-Atlantic Review” and featured on the podcasts: Zona San Antos and the Mz. KIR. Mr. Valdez hosts a monthly open mic,“Coffee House Poetry” at Grace Episcopal Church in Georgetown. He holds a B.A. in English from Marymount and a M.Ed. in Special Education from George Mason.
Nico Penaranda is a writer and educator from the DC area. He has taught in Howard University’s first-year writing program since 2022 and is a graduate of American University’s MFA program in creative writing. His poetry focuses on themes of race, rebellion, mythology, and music, and his most recent publications are featured in the Mid-Atlantic Review, Brigid Gate Publishing, and Mistake House Publishing.
Regie Cabico is a spoken word pioneer, having won the Nuyorican Poet Cafe’s Grand Slam. He is the author of A Rabbit In Search of a Rolex (Day Eight, 2023). He is a lead teaching artist for Story Tapestries and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and is the Executive Director for A Gathering of the Tribes in New York City. He is also Story Tapestries’ DC and National Program Liaison.
