Laura (Riding) Jackson Foundation announces its 14th Annual Poetry and Barbeque April 5, 2025, during National Poetry Month. Mothers & Daughters features the rare opportunity to hear three of our greatest living American Daughter poets: Cathy Smith Bowers of North Carolina; Tina Mozelle Braziel of rural Alabama; and Sarah Freligh of NY.
The event will be held from 2:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 5 at Richardson Center on Mueller Campus of Indian River State College in Vero Beach.
“The Poetry and Barbeque is one of our most popular events each season,” said Dr. Jacque Jacobs, LRJF President, “offering fabulous poetry readings, delicious barbeque, and live music.” A silent auction and raffle support our mission. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.LRJF.org
Cathy Smith Bowers’ collections include Traveling in Time of Danger, A Book of Minutes, The Candle I Hold Up to See You, and Like Shining from Shook Foil. Bowers teaches in the low-residency MFA program at Queens University in Charlotte and was poet laureate of North Carolina (2010-2012).
Tina Mozelle Braziel co-wrote Glass Cabin chronicling the build of their home by hand. Tina has been awarded the Philip Levine Prize for Poetry for Known by Salt, and a fellowship from the Alabama State Council on the Arts.
Sarah Freligh’s works include: Sad Math, A Brief Natural History of Women, and works in the Cincinnati Review, New Micro: Exceptionally Short Fiction, Best Microfiction, and Best Small Fiction 2022.
Tours of Laura’s historic home, gardens, and pole barn will be available. The generosity of the community supports LRJF to offer writing workshops and interdisciplinary literary programs for students and adults by some of the greatest authors and educators in the US. We believe exposure to quality literature enriches our community.
About Laura (Riding) Jackson Foundation
LRJF is dedicated to preserving the author’s home and nurturing writers of all ages through a series of literary offerings including writers’ groups, summer camps, workshops, and poetry festivals. The Foundation honors writer Laura (Riding) Jackson’s belief in the promise of language by creating community through the literary arts.
The author’s Florida cracker-style home is located next to Brackett Library on Mueller Campus of IRSC in Vero Beach at 6155 College Lane, Vero Beach. The historic house is open for tours on Monday and Tuesdays from 1:00–5:00 and the 2nd Sunday of the month from 1:00-5:00 from November to May, as well as by appointment.
LRJF has a Writing Center at 1914 14th Avenue in Vero Beach where we host writers’ groups, poetry readings, teen and adult writing workshops, and our LRJF gift shop. The annual Poetry and Barbeque Event celebrates National Poetry Month each April.
Susie McDaniel
772.584.9081
