I'm officially a 2025 lambda literary poetry fellow🌈
my artist statement + ways to support my poetic growth
half the battle when applying for fellowships and residencies is knowing what to say and how to say it.
I have written and edited my artist statement since 2021, which is only a testament to how everchanging writing is.
it’s with glowing joy that I share I am a 2025 lambda literary poetry fellow!!!! it’s been a week since I found out and I have literally not stopped talking (to myself) about it.
I am approaching my 29th year and to arrive to this acceptance after 5 years of applying is nothing short of a triumph. my writing has taken me through and beyond in ways I would’ve never expected.
but I wouldn’t have gotten here without mentors, dedication, and reading!! so I figured, why not share what I wrote? why not show how you, too, can be a lambda literary fellow?
here’s the prompt: “this is a place to tell us more about who you are, what you do, and about your writing. what is your vision for your work? what impact do you hope to create? what writing are you working on or plan to work on at the retreat? why are you excited about working with this particular faculty member? how would attending the writers retreat help you, your writing, and your vision? (max: 500 words)”
here’s what I said:
My writing disrupts the narrative that Blackness and queerness are mutually exclusive. My poetry is tethered to tragedy and fixated on the condolence of the page. Through poetics that explore the grief that preserves itself in memory, I meditate on the Black queer and femme experience and its implications on Black death. While at Lambda Literary’s Writer's Retreat, I hope to push myself by asking difficult questions, immersing myself in the literary community, and refining my poetic voice.
As a Black queer femme, I have often found solace and empowerment in the poetic form. Poetry has allowed me to explore and articulate what often feels indescribable, offering a space for rectification and self-discovery. I believe in the importance of collaboration and honoring work through every draft. Continual growth and refinement of my craft will only happen if I write the things I fear to touch, and I believe that this retreat offers an unparalleled opportunity for that development.
My poetics inform my birthwork. When I found myself in a desperate exploration of care and understanding, I dedicated myself to the Black birthing person. In many ways, I saw my late Black mother in the Black parents I supported and I wished for a life where the system didn’t lead them to a ventilator. I wished for a life where I cared for myself enough to write and remember not only my Black mother but also myself, a Black daughter. I couldn’t be the poet I am today without honoring transformation and searching for how to build a sustainable life for the Black body. Kay Ulanday Barrett’s work in identity and resilience aligns with my writing and community efforts. I hope to learn from them how to deepen my impact.
Too often do I dream of having the time and resources to write without worry. Yet, to continue to dream is to continue to live, and this retreat would make this dream a reality. I know Lambda Literary will give my poetics the space to lean into uncomfortability, and only in those moments will I show up as the best writer I can be.
Here is my bio: Briana Grogan (she/they) is a Black queer femme from Southern California. Her poetry found form in San Francisco, where they live and work as a community birth worker. She is a 2023 grant recipient of the San Francisco Artist Commission. They received their MFA in Poetry from Mills College. Her writing explores the silence in grief and rejoice in healing. They were an artist in residence at Art House San Clemente, the Guest Poetry Editor for Foglifter Journal Vol. 8, an assistant judge for the 2023 and 2024 Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest, and a finalist for the 2021 Button Poetry Chapbook Contest. Her work can be found in Foglifter Journal, The Ana, Obsidian: Literature & Arts in the African Diaspora, KALW, and more.
I am proud of this acceptance and I am happy to share how I wrote into the prompt (should I also share my writing sample? let me know).
if you made it this far, I assume you believe in art and the power of community. I am fundraising to cover the cost of the retreat (because the most expensive thing I’ve ever done is become a writer).
if you are able to financially support me, here is the link to donate (anything helps)! you can also support me by sharing the link with your folks, subscribing to my substack, and reposting this.
thank you for listening. thank you for celebrating with me.
photo by lauren hanussak