Jeanann Verlee uses her work to bring awareness to issues surrounding mental health. She has authored three books of poetry and writes about mental health awareness, trauma survival and domestic abuse and domestic violence. She shares her Brief But Spectacular take on destigmatizing mental illness through poetry.

Mahogany Browne is a poet, writer, organizer and educator. Recently, she became the first-ever poet-in-residence at the Lincoln Center in New York City. She shares her Brief But Spectacular take on poetry as ritual.

Writer Mary Otis' work grapples with issues of addiction, artistic purpose, and mother-daughter relationships. She recently performed excerpts from her debut novel, “Burst,” at Lincoln Center in New York City. She shares her Brief But Spectacular take on finding her voice.

Hope Boykin and Teri Ayanna Wright are a duo who bring together prose and dance. Boykin is both a choreographer and writer, and Wright is a dancer who accompanies the spoken word portion of the piece, bringing it to another dimension. They share their Brief But Spectacular take on creating their own paths. It's part of our arts and culture series, CANVAS.