MEET THE TEAM
We’re a ragtag bunch of artists who volunteer together. Feel free to talk to us at our shows — we’re here to answer all your poetry-related questions!
ASTRID DREW
CO-DIRECTOR
Astrid Drew is a writer and archivist based in Providence, Rhode Island. She has been part of the staff of the Providence Poetry Slam for many years, and was a member of the 2014 Providence Slam team. Her work tends to focus on interrogating history, heritage and lineage, as well as finding beauty in unlikely places. She believes that poetry can be something powerful.
CHRYSANTHEMUM
CO-DIRECTOR
Chrysanthemum is a poet, performance artist, and public historian. A staff member for almost a decade, she’s coached youth teams, facilitated writing workshops, and coordinated shows. A champion of the Rustbelt Regional Poetry Slam and the first-ever FEM Slam, she represented ProvSlam at the National Poetry Slam and the Women of the World Poetry Slam, where she became the first trans woman finalist of the tournament in 2016.
Her honors include the Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Fellowship from the Poetry Foundation, a Kundiman Fellow, a Lambda Literary Justin Chin Memorial Fellow, and a recipient of the MacColl Johnson Fellowship from the Rhode Island Foundation. In 2024, she was named Lambda Literary’s inaugural Poet-in-Residence. Her current focus is preserving, sharing, and commemorating the history of ProvSlam since its founding at AS220 in 1992.
ALYSSA ST. FRANC
STAFF
Alyssa St. Franc is a black queer poet living in Providence. Alyssa represented Providence on the Brave New Voices team in 2016 and 2017. Alyssa has featured at Providence Poetry Slam and Chat Club PVD. Alyssa’s work explores queerness, blackness, mental health, and topics near and dear to her heart. Alyssa has been attending Providence Poetry Slam since 2012, slamming and reading on the open mic. Alyssa enjoys listening to podcasts, baking, spending time with loved ones, and reading.
MICHELLE POULIOT
STAFF
Michelle Pouliot is a poet, student, and data scientist from Rhode Island. She represented the Providence Poetry Slam at the 2015 Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Slam and has touched stages across the north east. You can find her in the library, at school, or panic writing in the corner moments before she’s called up to read the poem.
NAFFISATOU KOULIBALY
STAFF (FORMER CO-DIRECTOR)
Naffisatou Koulibaly is a ProvSlam Youth alum, and has been part of the arts community in Providence for many years. Naffi is focused on developing the youth program in between time to write, and involvement with the Dirt Palace Collective, where she is an artist in residence.
Naffi’s body of work is interested in examining the phenomenon of growing up, the inherent heartbreak of being a 23 year old girl and everything that makes the experience so beautiful and tragic.
STAFF
DAMEIEN SYKES BIDWELL
JUSTICE AMEER
CHRISTA COBURN
ILYUS EVANDER
MICHAELIS LEE
RENÉ MANUEL RAMOS
STAFF EMERITUS
REN L[I]U
ZYEN MINGO-SMOOT
ERIN VACHON
JOHN-FRANCIS QUIÑONEZ
CORY ROSS
DEVIN SAMUELS (FORMER CO-DIRECTOR)
KLEO SINCERE (FORMER CO-DIRECTOR)
CHARLOTTE ABOTSI (FORMER CO-DIRECTOR)
MUGGS FOGARTY (FORMER CO-DIRECTOR)
VATIC KUUMBA (FORMER CO-DIRECTOR)
FRANNY CHOI (FORMER CO-DIRECTOR)
LAURA LAMB BROWN-LAOVIE (FORMER CO-DIRECTOR)
MEGAN THOMA (FORMER CO-DIRECTOR)
JARED PAUL (FORMER CO-DIRECTOR)