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 & FINANCE CHAIR
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 recognitions include a Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Fellowship from the Poetry Foundation, a Kundiman Fellowship, a Justin Chin Memorial Scholarship from Lambda Literary, and a MacColl Johnson Fellowship from the Rhode Island Foundation. Her current focus is preserving, sharing, and commemorating the history of ProvSlam since its founding at AS220 in 1992.
NAFFISATOU KOULIBALY
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.
DEVIN SAMUELS
STAFF (FORMER CO-DIRECTOR)
Devin Samuels is a poet educator who has been performing on local and national stages for the last 15 years. With a strong investment in community, Devin has spent years cultivating youth arts spaces throughout New England and the Midwest. In Detroit, he worked with Inside Out Literary Arts Project supplying poetry programming to youth throughout the city. His pedagogy utilizes poetics to grow critical thinking, self-reflection, and empathy within students. Devin is a 2017 poetry Foundation Incubator Fellow and his work can be found in City & Sea poetry Anthology, Slag Review, Wayne Literary Review 2018 and Systematic Crises of Global Climate Change: Intersections of Race, Class and Gender.
KLEO SINCERE
STAFF (FORMER CO-DIRECTOR)
Kleo Sincere is aN artist from Providence, Rhode Island. She is a screen-printer, photographer, and writers everything from poetry to short stories. Kleo likes to focus on themes of the taboo and unconformity, trying to seek answers to the questions that some fear to ask. Kleo represented Providence at Brave New Voices in 2017, and 2018 as Youth Grand Slam Champion. In 2017, she was awarded the title of Youth Poet Laureate of Rhode Island and attended YouthSpeaks in 2019 for poetry and spoken word.
ALYSSA ST. FRANC
YOUTH COORDINATOR
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
OPERATIONS COORDINATOR
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
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.
DEVIN SAMUELS
STAFF (FORMER CO-DIRECTOR)
Devin Samuels is a poet educator who has been performing on local and national stages for the last 15 years. With a strong investment in community, Devin has spent years cultivating youth arts spaces throughout New England and the Midwest. In Detroit, he worked with Inside Out Literary Arts Project supplying poetry programming to youth throughout the city. His pedagogy utilizes poetics to grow critical thinking, self-reflection, and empathy within students. Devin is a 2017 poetry Foundation Incubator Fellow and his work can be found in City & Sea poetry Anthology, Slag Review, Wayne Literary Review 2018 and Systematic Crises of Global Climate Change: Intersections of Race, Class and Gender.
KLEO SINCERE
STAFF (FORMER CO-DIRECTOR)
Kleo Sincere is a 20 year old artist from Providence, Rhode Island. She is a screen-printer, photographer, and writers everything from poetry to short stories. Kleo likes to focus on themes of the taboo and unconformity, trying to seek answers to the questions that some fear to ask. Kleo represented Providence at Brave New Voices in 2017, and 2018 as Youth Grand Slam Champion. In 2017, she was awarded the title of Youth Poet Laureate of Rhode Island and attended YouthSpeaks in 2019 for poetry and spokenword.
ALYSSA ST. FRANC
YOUTH COORDINATOR
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.
MUGGS FOGARTY
GRANDPA (FORMER CO-DIRECTOR)
Muggs Fogarty is a writer, performer, and vocalist from Providence, Rhode Island. Muggs has represented Providence in national poetry slam competition eight times respectively and is a 2017 FEMS Slam champion, a National Poetry Slam semi-finalist, and a Brave New Voices finalist. Muggs is a former director of award-winning Providence Poetry Slam and ProvSlam Youth, and has coached several youth and collegiate level slam teams, particularly through UCONN, Brown University, and RISD. Muggs has also worked as an arts mentor with local organizations such as New Urban Arts, CityArts, and PASA, and has received awards from the Rhode Island State Council on The Arts. Muggs is the author of chapbooks Unburn (Ghost Hum Arts 2016) and Sex Camel (Game Over Books 2018). Muggs can also be found fronting their own solo loop pedal project, Sweetpea Pumpkin, as well as the local darkpop band, Lookers, whose EP “Mirage” (Sad Cactus Records 2018) was released this past November and is available on all streaming platforms. Muggs is a resident at the non-profit community arts space, AS220, and practices bodywork as an LMT in Providence.
MUGGS FOGARTY
GRANDPA (FORMER CO-DIRECTOR)
Muggs Fogarty is a writer, performer, and vocalist from Providence, Rhode Island. Muggs has represented Providence in national poetry slam competition eight times respectively and is a 2017 FEMS Slam champion, a National Poetry Slam semi-finalist, and a Brave New Voices finalist. Muggs is a former director of award-winning Providence Poetry Slam and ProvSlam Youth, and has coached several youth and collegiate level slam teams, particularly through UCONN, Brown University, and RISD. Muggs has also worked as an arts mentor with local organizations such as New Urban Arts, CityArts, and PASA, and has received awards from the Rhode Island State Council on The Arts.
Muggs is the author of chapbooks Unburn (Ghost Hum Arts 2016) and Sex Camel (Game Over Books 2018). Muggs can also be found fronting their own solo loop pedal project, Sweetpea Pumpkin, as well as the local darkpop band, Lookers, whose EP “Mirage” (Sad Cactus Records 2018) was released this past November and is available on all streaming platforms. Muggs is a resident at the non-profit community arts space, AS220, and practices bodywork as an LMT in Providence.