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Valerie A. Smith, Back to Alabama, Sundress '24 @valeriesmithpoetry.bsky.social · 1d

Because Black. Because She. Because We. ✊🏾
Black history isn’t just the past—it’s the present, the fight, the resilience, and the win. Because she black, because she hoop, because she dunk, because she tatted up. 🏀✍🏾
Because she locked up, because she free.
Because she paid, because she write.

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Valerie A. Smith, Back to Alabama, Sundress '24 @valeriesmithpoetry.bsky.social · 1d

Here's the video! Thanks for an Amazing reading with MonicaWeatherly @notebookscltv.bsky.social

The Notebooks Collective @notebookscltv.bsky.social · 2d

Now online: Our August event with @valeriesmithpoetry.bsky.social & Monica Lee Weatherly.
thenotebookscollective.com/notes/in-con...

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Valerie A. Smith, Back to Alabama, Sundress '24 @valeriesmithpoetry.bsky.social · 4d

For every woman who has been told to shrink, to be quiet, to make herself smaller than she is—this is for you. 💛

We have carried weightless burdens, sat with our knees pressed together, made room for others while feeling like we had none for ourselves. But listen, you are seen. You belong.

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Valerie A. Smith, Back to Alabama, Sundress '24 @valeriesmithpoetry.bsky.social · 9d

To the ones who held it down, held us up, and kept their joy rooted in resistance—
This one’s for you. 💐

In the spirit of "Black Woman" by Georgia Douglas Johnson, we honor the strength wrapped in softness, the sacrifice laced in silence, and the beauty born through struggle.

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Valerie A. Smith, Back to Alabama, Sundress '24 @valeriesmithpoetry.bsky.social · 11d

The mic is our altar. The pen, our prayer.
"Caseloads of young, the North Star foggy.
When I was a child someone hit me so hard I lost my sense of beauty.
I hear the ocean beating where the ice marches over the shore.
Freedom is the choice to cross a river—
tell a child another world exists."

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Valerie A. Smith, Back to Alabama, Sundress '24 @valeriesmithpoetry.bsky.social · 15d

As a poet, I often reflect on the writers who've shaped my journey—like Derrick O'Brown, who virtually visited our class before earning the Pulitzer, or Claudia Rankine, Gregory Pardlo, and even Robert Frost. While I can’t rank them, each has left a lasting impression on me.

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Valerie A. Smith, Back to Alabama, Sundress '24 @valeriesmithpoetry.bsky.social · 16d

@kevonstage.bsky.social I got your book! Hit me up for your signed copy of Back to Alabama! And one for Mrskevonstage too!

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Valerie A. Smith, Back to Alabama, Sundress '24 @valeriesmithpoetry.bsky.social · 18d

Teaching poetry is more than just analyzing words on a page—it's about exploring the world we live in. I’m considering not only the books we’ll read but also the deeper discussions we’ll have. This is a space to use poetry as a lens to examine the social issues of our time.

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Valerie A. Smith, Back to Alabama, Sundress '24 @valeriesmithpoetry.bsky.social · 21d

Yeah, everybody seems to know everybody. And it’s funny how imposter syndrome—oh, the stories all sound the same. But when you’re in it, whew, it hits different. I’m in these classes, fresh off my master’s, like 'I made it. I’m here!' But then that little voice creeps in, 'Am I supposed to be here?

Valerie A. Smith, Back to Alabama, Sundress '24 @valeriesmithpoetry.bsky.social · 23d

Stepping into the spotlight feels a little surreal, but I’m deeply grateful for the love and support tonight. Poetry has always been about amplifying voices, and I’m honored to share my journey as both a poet and scholar.

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Valerie A. Smith, Back to Alabama, Sundress '24 @valeriesmithpoetry.bsky.social · 25d

✨ Black culture. Black love. Black life. Black poetry. ✨

Reading these poems was like discovering a reflection of my own voice—a legacy stretching back to the Harlem Renaissance, to the brilliance of Gwendolyn Brooks and beyond.

Valerie A. Smith, Back to Alabama, Sundress '24 @valeriesmithpoetry.bsky.social · 29d

📚✨ Meet the storytellers shaping our community! ✨📚
The Switzer Library Local Author Fair is the perfect place to discover new voices, support local talent, and maybe even find your next favorite book.

Join us on Saturday, Sept. 13th, from 12–3 PM at 266 Roswell St., Marietta, GA.

Valerie A. Smith, Back to Alabama, Sundress '24 @valeriesmithpoetry.bsky.social · Sep 10

For every woman who has been told to shrink, to be quiet, to make herself smaller than she is—this is for you. 💛

We have carried weightless burdens, sat with our knees pressed together, made room for others while feeling like we had none for ourselves. But listen, you are seen. You belong.

Valerie A. Smith, Back to Alabama, Sundress '24 @valeriesmithpoetry.bsky.social · Sep 8

Join us on Saturday, Sept. 13th, from 12–3 PM at 266 Roswell St., Marietta, GA.
I will be one of the featured authors is Valerie A. Smith, poet and author of Back to Alabama. Come hear her words, feel her artistry, and connect with her story. 💫
📖 Free admission
🤝 Meet & mingle with local authors

Valerie A. Smith, Back to Alabama, Sundress '24 @valeriesmithpoetry.bsky.social · Sep 5

📚✨ Meet the storytellers shaping our community! ✨📚
Join us on Saturday, Sept. 13th, from 12–3 PM at 266 Roswell St., Marietta, GA. I will be one of the featured authors is Valerie A. Smith, poet and author of Back to Alabama. Come hear her words, feel her artistry, and connect with her story.

Valerie A. Smith, Back to Alabama, Sundress '24 @valeriesmithpoetry.bsky.social · Sep 3

I honor the women, like my mother, who nurture, heal, and plant seeds of possibility—the ones who come bearing wisdom, resilience, and love in ways we don’t always recognize until we’ve grown into them.

She doesn’t need history books or faraway places to know what thrives.

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Valerie A. Smith, Back to Alabama, Sundress '24 @valeriesmithpoetry.bsky.social · Aug 30

Legion, for we are many.
Anthony Hill, a name etched in memory, a life mistaken for a threat. His war-torn mind was exposed, his body unarmed yet perceived as armed. On that fateful day, March 9, 2015, an Officer arrived, and instead of compassion, panic spoke louder.

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Valerie A. Smith, Back to Alabama, Sundress '24 @valeriesmithpoetry.bsky.social · Aug 28

I honor the woman who shaped me—my grandmother.
She was Southern steel and Sunday elegance—bold enough to snatch a snake mid-conversation, yet gentle enough to heal with her hands. She walked heavy, lived boldly, and never let fear call the shots.

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Valerie A. Smith, Back to Alabama, Sundress '24 @valeriesmithpoetry.bsky.social · Aug 28

So let me tell y’all how God’s plan works—He’ll close a door just to open a hallway, and when you’re ready to give up, He’ll slide a miracle through. 🖤
7 years ago, I thought I was just getting my Master’s to teach, but a no turned into a yes, and that “yes” came with mentors who saw a bigger vision

Valerie A. Smith, Back to Alabama, Sundress '24 @valeriesmithpoetry.bsky.social · Aug 22

Honored to be reading at The Grove MGM next Saturday August 30th. The Grove supports young women transitioning out of Foster Care in Alabama. www.thegrovemgm.org

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Valerie A. Smith, Back to Alabama, Sundress '24 @valeriesmithpoetry.bsky.social · Aug 19

thenotebookscollective.com/event/in-con...

In Conversation: Valerie Smith & Monica Lee Weatherly

We welcome Valerie Smith & Monica Lee Weatherly to The Notebooks Collective in August. We are thrilled to have these two poet-educators join us to talk about working in community…

thenotebookscollective.com

Valerie A. Smith, Back to Alabama, Sundress '24 @valeriesmithpoetry.bsky.social · Aug 3

Upcoming events! Reading with @dr.monicaweatherly @thenotebookscollective
Reading @thegrove_mgm and meeting local authors @cobbcountylibrary

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Valerie A. Smith, Back to Alabama, Sundress '24 @valeriesmithpoetry.bsky.social · Jun 15

Black men move through life carrying legacy, expectation, and the weight of survival—but the cards are always stacked. Some are taken by fame. Some by violence. Some by injustice.

We pray. We fight. We grieve. We gather. Because their lives weren’t just theirs—they were ours. Happy Fathers Day <3

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Valerie A. Smith, Back to Alabama, Sundress '24 @valeriesmithpoetry.bsky.social · Jun 12

Come see me on the south side! I'll be reading Back to Alabama this Saturday June 14 at Georgian Gallery McDonough from 5-8pm.
With poets Hester L. ("Lee") Furey, John Charles Griffin, Ed Hall, and Bryant O'Hara

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Valerie A. Smith, Back to Alabama, Sundress '24 @valeriesmithpoetry.bsky.social · Jun 4

Thrilled to see Back to Alabama out in the world!

Mark Noonan @marktnoonan.bsky.social · Jun 4

Just finished this signed book of poems by @valeriesmithpoetry.bsky.social that I got from my wife the other week. It’s fantastic and creative and I feel like every poem is just right. I love how many different kinds of poetry are in this one book.

The cover of Back to Alabama: poems by Valerie A Smith

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