About this Event
POETA: SONETAS AND SONNETS introduces a remarkable innovation in contemporary poetry—the soneta, a six-line form that emerges not from experimental impulse but urgent necessity. Within this form, alongside traditional sonnets, Pelumi Olatinpo creates a work of extraordinary scope and precision, one that bears witness to both immediate catastrophe and enduring human resilience.
Moving through six meticulously constructed movements—"Monsoon," "Wildfire," "Drought," "Eclipse," "Blossom," and "Prisma"—the collection builds a complex architecture of testimony and reflection. The Gaza sequences in "Wildfire," for instance, combine documentary immediacy with formal mastery, creating poems of devastating ethical and emotional force. Yet even in witnessing horror, these poems insist on human dignity and the possibility of beauty.
Olatinpo works at the intersection of multiple traditions, transforming "this language/I do not own" into one distinctly his own. Western poetic forms enter genuine dialogue with Yoruba traditions; Christian and Islamic imagery interweave; personal grief encounters collective trauma. The result is not mere mixture but true synthesis, creating new possibilities for poetic expression.
In "Prisma," the return to traditional sonnets serves as both culmination and philosophical argument about poetry's enduring power. Throughout, the collection maintains what one poem calls "the rhythm in the chaos"—finding language equal to both atrocity and love, political urgency and personal tenderness.
POETA achieves something essential: formal innovation serving genuine necessity, political engagement never sacrificing artistic excellence, and cultural synthesis that deepens rather than dilutes. It stands as both immediate testimony and lasting art, marking a significant moment in contemporary poetry.
Pelumi Olatinpo is joining us on the Busboys stage to share more about what inspired this collection and dive deeper into the themes explored in his poems. Copies of the book will be available for purchase during and after the event, and Olatinpo will be signing following the program.
This event is free and open to all. Our program begins at 5:00 pm, and will be followed by an audience Q&A. Copies of POETA will be available for purchase before and after the event. Please note that this event is in person and will not be livestreamed.
We ask that guests RSVP in order to receive direct updates about the event from Busboys and Poets Books
Pelumi Olatinpo is a poet, a philosopher, a pioneer, a prophet of possibility, and a provocateur of our collective consciousness. A DREAMer and a technical startup founder, he sees our world for what it can be and not just what it is. An American-Nigerian, he lives in the Washington, D.C., area with his wife and two kids.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Busboys and Poets 14th & V, 2021 14th St NW, Washington, United States
USD 0.00