jonny

Pleased to share that I'm the new Events Manager of Lost City Books in Washington DC!

I can't wait to build a slate of rad book events for my community. I'm also hoping to collab with local groups to put together open mics, Narcan trainings, etc. :)

the people who police use of the term "concentration camp" have no idea that the nazis had over 14,000 camps across europe and that the vast majority were detention camps and labor camps and not killing centers, which is what they ignorantly think concentration camp exclusively means: death camp.

and it’s frustrating to explain the merits of a place like dc, the great food and people and history, when the primary association people have with it is whomever is in office and how they feel about them

This should be a huge story

this was sooo fun and precious. Ali was a tremendous host & interviewer. I love Juj and Andrew!

You can listen to the episode here: www.wortfm.org/local-poets-...

Things you could do:
-NSJP has called for a day of action 3/11; hold a rally or protest.
-send senior faculty to meet with admin and demand guarantees they won’t coordinate with ICE or admin
-have all campus unions demand admin non-cooperation or compliance with Trump agenda

House Democrats Have Leverage— If They Use It Republicans Can't Pass a Budget Without Democrats: Any funding bill that passes the Senate must clear the 60-vote filibuster, meaning Senate Republicans will be forced to compromise with Democrats. That bill will not be the full MAGA wishlist-it will be a negotiated deal. And here's the problem for House Republicans: as soon as the bill looks even remotely reasonable, hardline MAGA extremists will revolt. The House Freedom Caucus will refuse to vote for anything that doesn't include extreme cuts and right-wing poison pills. That means House Republicans' razor-thin 218-215 majority won't be enough to pass a budget on their own. If just three Republicans defect, the bill dies. Their chaos and dysfunction have already divided them. Democrats must not bail them out. Republicans will need Democratic votes to pass a budget, and that gives Democrats enormous leverage. The GOP Civil War is a Gift-Exploit It: The House GOP is eating itself alive. The far-right Freedom Caucus is demanding draconian cuts, while vulnerable Republicans fear the backlash of a shutdown. Demoerats should let them fight and use it to extract real concessions. The Shutdown Deadline is the GOP's Problem to Solve: Government funding runs out on March 14. If the GOP can't pass a bill, they own the shutdown. Instead of letting Republicans ram through a terrible deal, Democrats should be demanding a budget that stops MAGA looting and protects working families. Trump and His Billionaire Buddies Want to Steal the Budget: Trump and his inner circle, led by Russ Vought, are openly planning to override federal spending decisions, funnel cash to their allies, and slash social programs. If the budget doesn't include safeguards-real, meaningful, and enforceable safeguards— they will rob the country blind.

Government funding runs out on March 14. Republicans can’t pass a bill alone, so Democrats have real leverage here. We’re calling on Democrats to commit to withholding their votes and insist on an end to the Trump-Musk coup rampaging across the government.

A text post with a peach-colored background and a pale green center. The text on the post reads as follows: “THE POETRY SOCIETY OF NEW YORK Free Verse Virtual Workshop for BIPOC Creatives Joy? More Serious Than You Think. WITH JONNY TEKLIT FEBRUARY 4, 2025 7PM EST”

A black box with white text. The text reads as follows: “The daily horrors of the world are unending and constantly stacking atop each other. In times like these, writing about joy can sometimes feel like a fruitless endeavor. But when done right, joy doesn't shy away from the cruelties of the world. To do so would make it trite, a hollow platitude. Through examining poems from Lucille Clifton, Ross Gay, and Danez Smith, this workshop aims to demonstrate how •joy, at its best, is not a naive, head-in-the-sand subject, but rather, as Ross Gay writes in his essay collection Inciting Joy, a "serious" one; something that can be cultivated/relied upon in spite of and/or throughout periods of immense pain and tumult. Perhaps you don't want to hear about joy right now. Perhaps you do. The workshop will be split intro three parts: a mini lecture from me, a period of time to write, and a chance for anyone to share.”

On Feb 4th, I will be running a virtual writing workshop through Poetry Society NY for BIPOC writers called JOY? MORE SERIOUS THAN YOU THINK. Join us to learn how Black writers articulate joy without ignoring the cruel, man-made conditions of the earth.

You can register at the link in my bio.

If the horrors are going to continue to persist, then I’ll have to continue to persist as well. Doubly so. Our time here is limited, and I want to make the most of the time I’ve been granted.

Help who you can when you can. Those who mean harm are damn sure going to keep doing their bullshit.

going to be thinking about nickel boys for a long time

Winter Solstice | Poetry Database | Split This Rock

Honored to be selected as Split This Rock’s poem of the week with my piece, WINTER SOLSTICE, which you can read or listen to at the link below!

www.splitthisrock.org/poetry-datab...

"How American" from We Contain Landscapes (Tin House, 2025) in @sixthfinch.bsky.social’s latest gorgeous issue 🖤

thank you friend!!

where’s outer wilds on the scale for you?

have you guys ever noticed that most things are super annoying except when i do them, and then they’re winsome and adorable? like what are the odds

jonny teklit

Hello! My name is Jonny, I’m a poet, booking agent, former bookseller, and a current Poetry MFA candidate at University of Wisconsin–Madison.

You can find a list of my previously published work at jonnyteklit.com

Miss you! we should catch up sometime!

A Black man wearing glasses and a burnt orange turtleneck is smiling in front of a large tree that has turned orange and gold from the autumn weather. The man has short black hair and a small black goatee. The angle of the photo makes it look like the branches of the tree are coming out of his head.

hey

for anyone trying to extricate yourself from the clutches of Amazon: bookstores make more than a third of their money between now & New Year’s, & most bookstores ship nationwide 💌

i got this a lot in college too lol

or people praising my “strength” for being sober and how “they could never” hmm

true. loved obra dinn, but not tried golden idol yet.

I just wish I could wipe my memory so I can play Outer Wilds & Tunic again. always chasing that high 😭

I love your recommendation thread bc we have such similar game taste.

you should try chants of sennaar if you haven’t yet!

drolta really was The Moment™️.

Every scene she was in I was like 👁️🫢❤️‍🔥🤩😱🫠

black paramore fans are the backbone of society

jonny teklit

Hello! My name is Jonny, I’m a poet, booking agent, former bookseller, and a current Poetry MFA candidate at University of Wisconsin–Madison.

You can find a list of my previously published work at jonnyteklit.com