Grammy-nominated poet, journalist and author Kevin Powell is hitting the road this fall with his latest poetry collection, A Poem for Evangeline, and Other Songs, while also taking on a new role at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn.
The 17th book from Powell, published by Get Fresh Books Publishing, is at the center of a 10-city national tour that brings the acclaimed writer to bookstores, cultural institutions and community spaces across the country. The tour began in Philadelphia on September 17 and concludes in Houston on November 20, with stops in Oakland, Los Angeles, Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, Washington, D.C., New York and Dallas.
Powell will make his New York City appearance on November 15 at Judson Memorial Church from 3 to 5 p.m.
The tour gives Powell an opportunity to connect directly with readers while using poetry as a vehicle for conversations about culture, identity, community and the issues shaping American life.
In Brooklyn, Powell will serve as Pratt Institute’s 2026 Poet-and-Scholar-in-Residence. During the residency, he will lead four interactive two-hour workshops bringing together students from across the institute.
The workshops will explore the connections between creative expression and democracy, leadership, identity, voting, civic engagement and community participation. Students will combine discussion and reflection with hands-on creative work, developing written, visual, performance-based or other projects inspired by each session.
The residency will conclude November 4 with a free Pratt Presents public conversation featuring Powell and another major American cultural figure, who will be announced by the institute.
Powell is also introducing a new musical component to his poetry. He has released “my father could not read or write,” featuring violinist Classique516. The poem-song is the first single from a forthcoming poetry album expected in 2027.
The new release adds another dimension to Powell’s work, which has long crossed boundaries between poetry, journalism, hip-hop culture, activism and literature.
A native of Jersey City, New Jersey, Powell lives in Brooklyn and has built a career spanning journalism, poetry, books and filmmaking. He is a GRAMMY-nominated poet, WEBBY Award-winning Newsweek journalist and author of 17 books. He is also working on an upcoming biography of Tupac Shakur.
For Powell, the fall tour represents a return to a more extensive book-tour schedule while creating opportunities for conversations in communities across the country.
The tour will visit cultural institutions including the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center in Chicago, the American Poetry Museum in Washington, D.C., and Eldorado Ballroom at Project Row Houses in Houston.
With a new book, national tour, poetry recording and Brooklyn residency, Powell is continuing to expand the ways he uses words, music and creative expression to connect with audiences.