Lasana M. Sekou returned here last Friday following a solo-recital of his poetry, fictions, and spoken word videos at Hudson Valley Community College (HVCC) in Troy, New York, on April 14. Louis Coplin, HVCC Director of Student Life said that Sekou’s work was "impressive" for its informative and performance qualities.
The St. Martin author spoke about his writings, Caribbean literature, showed spoken word videos, and read from his books Pelican Heart, The Salt Reaper, 37 poems, and Brotherhood of The Spurs. He also read new unpublished poems "Citizen," "Labrish," "Libya Unfinished," and "Poem for the dead." The mid-day reading to students at the BTC auditorium was followed by a smaller late-afternoon recital that drew audiences from the campus and the Troy and Albany communities, said Jacqueline Sample, president of House of Nehesi Publishers (HNP). Sponsored by HVCC Student Senate, the program included a book signing for Pelican Heart/Corazón de Pelícano, Sekou’s newest English/Spanish title from HNP. According to Coplin, the "literary event" is part of ongoing activities to enrich and interact campus and community life at HVCC. Previous speakers at HVCC involving the college’s administration or the senate were educator Joe Clark, world-renowned poet Maya Angelo, and US President Barak Obama.