Stats & Stanzas 2025: Except By Permission
Developed and co-organized the third annual Stats & Stanzas poetry & public health event hosted at Irving Street Studio at EcoTrust. This year’s theme was, “Except By Permission” — inspired by the work of Nikki Giovanni and her poem, “ego tripping (there may be a reason why)”. The event featured readings from guest poets Jae Nichelle and Sage Spicer-Orak, and musical performances by Nafisaria Mathews — including a cover of Jamila Woods’ ode to Nikki Giovanni, “Giovanni”. The event also included readings from winners of the 2025 Stats & Stanzas Poetry Prize for undergraduate and graduate public health students, and art exhibits by MPH student Ines Rossi y Costa, MFA student Gwen Hoeffgen, and SPH faculty member Dr. Charlie Roscoe. SoundsByDonta provided the soundtrack for the evening, spinning a mix of dope R&B, hiphop, and an “Except By Permission” mix curated for the event theme. Shout out to Tamale Boy for the catering, to the BREATHE crew and other volunteers for holding down registration, setup, etc., to Dr. Dawn Richardson and Adri Jones for creating the institutional space for this work, to Tojo for the photography, to Kelly Mackura for the comms and planning support, and Tomás Zurita for co-hosting/emceeing!
“Poetry offers a necessary space for healing, resistance, and resurgence as public health continues the struggle towards health justice. It has the power to push boundaries and reimagine narratives of health equity—opening new dialogues that (re)center the voice and agency of those most burdened by social inequality. To tell our own stories. We are the data. We are the evidence. And we cannot be comprehended — except by permission. ”
Event Photos
