Press Release
CHIP WILLIFORD NAMED SUFFOLK COUNTY POET LAUREATE
Groundbreaking poet, and storyteller excited to change the perception of poetry
and the power of using your voice
Chip Williford, Director and Co-Host of Poetry Street (A Room Without a Roof, Where Every Voice Is Heard) in Riverhead, NY, adds another remarkable feather to his creative cap–Poet Laureate of Suffolk County, New York. Suffolk County has a population of more than 1.5 million residents and holds Babylon, Brookhaven, East Hampton, Huntington, Islip, Riverhead, Shelter Island, Smithtown, Southampton, and Southold, 64 villages, 126 municipal corporations and hundreds of hamlets and census-designated places. As Poet Laureate, Williford hopes to promote poetry through workshops and presentations and he hopes to give a new voice to projects he wants to create, tapping into his expansive creative background in television and production, to expand the landscape of the spoken word. Williford is a parent, grandparent, great-grandparent, and lives in Mastic Beach with his husband, singer-songwriter John James, who is excited about being a same-gender loving Black man, in a relationship of 25 years, who knows the impact of his presence because it lives in his own family. His grandson proudly celebrates having such a powerful and vocal presence in his family at a time when so many are trying to erase or make invisible the gifts and works of people like Williford, and historic literary giants, such as Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, James Baldwin and others. His post as Poet Laureate will be until 2027 and officially launched on June 1, 2025, the first day of LGBTQIA+ Pride Month celebrations. The traditional “Passing of The Poet Laureate Twig” ceremony is scheduled for June 29th, 4pm-6pm, at The Walt Whitman Birthplace, 246 Old Walt Whitman Rd., Huntington, NY
As an adult, Williford returned to higher education, learning Radio and Television Production at Suffolk County Community College. “I almost walked out, but a very nice lady saw that I was ready to run because the enrollment process was intimidating.” She helped Williford complete his application, and he took that opportunity to excel. He joined the Alpha Zeta Nu chapter of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and became its VP of Service, then graduated with highest honors, He is also now an Executive Board member of the Eastern Long Island Chapter of the NAACP Now, he is combining those milestones to help establish a scholarship at the college, in partnership with the NAACP, for future generations. “The scholarship will raise $10,000 and that will help students with expenses, which brings my experience there full circle!” Williford is also the Creative Consultant to Fund With Music (fuwimu.com), a platform for independent poets and songwriters to share their creations to help raise funds for charitable organizations.
Chip Williford has lived across the country–NC, NY, OH, CA, SC, GA. He returned to college in 2013, after a airline job brought him back to NY. That career ended and made room for his journey as a poet. He is a writer of prose, poetry and short stories. He is a videographer, filmmaker, documentarian, family historian, researcher, good listener and truthful storyteller. “I write from my heart. I write about my childhood. I write about people I don’t even know. I think that poetry is a way to communicate when you can’t really say the words or tell the whole truth of what is happening. When you can’t talk about abuse or can’t talk about mistreatment, poetry helps to get those feelings out.” Williford, who notes through tears that he was bullied as a child because of a speaking impediment, used to physically defend himself. That changed one day, when his mother took him to the family car for a talk. While in the car, his mother took a moment to turn on the radio and there, on the local NPR station, he heard poetry for the first time and it was dynamic because it was Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. reciting Hughes’ much revered “Mother To Son” poem. It was Chip’s first-time hearing poetry, and it gave the little boy a new voice. “My mother told me I could use writing as a tool to get my words out. And I’ve been writing ever since.”
Chip Williford is available for interviews to talk about Pride Month, poetry and raising your voice;
He can be reached at chipwillifordpoetlaureate@gmail.com 718-930-6649
cv-RESUME
Chip Williford
718-930-6649
chipwillifordpoetlaureate@gmail.com
EDUCATION
Certificate In Theology
Interdenominational Theology Center - Atlanta, GA
A.A.S. Radio And Television Production, Suffolk County Community College - Selden, NY, May 2014, Sigma Summa Cum Laude, Sigma Chi Eta, Phi Theta Kappa AZN Vice President of Service
PRESS: INTERVIEWS AND ARTICLES
June 27th, 2024 – Chip Williford and Maggie Bloomfield of Poetry Street join WLIW-FM Heart of The East End Gianna Volpe in studio ahead of Poetry Street’s 10th birthday.
October 23, 2023 | WLIW FM | PODCAST Chip Williford joins Gianna Volpe on the WLIW-FM Heart of The East End Monday Meditation Poetry Street Riverhead Library.
June 20th, 2022 - Gianna Volpe on the WLIW-FM Heart of The East End.– Dr. James Banks; Brenda Simmons; Chip Williford and Takudzwa Chikepe
June 24th, 2021 - Chip Williford and Maggie Bloomfield joins Gianna Volpe on the WLIW-FM Heart of The East End
February 4, 2021 - Gianna Volpe on the WLIW-FM Heart of The East End invited poets Suzanne Cade, Lois Moses, Helen Higginbotham and Chip Williford onto the show. In celebration of the last show of Black History Month,
RiverheadLocal COMMUNITY NEWS By Denise Civiletti Sep 26, 2020, - Zoom into Poetry Street: monthly open-mic venue goes virtual in pandemic
RiverheadLOCAL Upcoming Jun 22, 2024 - Poetry Street to celebrate 10th anniversary
RiverheadLocal COMMUNITY NEWS By Denise Civiletti Jun 27, 2024 - Poetry Street, ‘where everyone has a voice,’ turns 10: Its founders and hosts reflect on the journey
THE SAILORS REVIEW 82nd ISSUE 24 December 2024 page 43-52 - ARTIST LOUNGE III
CHIP WILLIFORD THE BEAUTY & POWER OF POETRY - using poetry to add on the cultural landscape of a people,
Interviewed by Violin Chipamaunga “Idea of America”
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qFgZyRUefa8W-1CvwUU3kHfJmSStLhiK/view
THE SAILORS REVIEW 59TH ISSUE 12 JUNE 2022 pages 70-73
A Conversation With Chip Williford, Interviewed by sibuco - Word In Verse III - Poetry Analysis “TWO FACED” page 70
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qFgZyRUefa8W-1CvwUU3kHfJmSStLhiK/view
THE SAILORS REVIEW 58TH ISSUE 08 MAY 2022 - page 28 - Words in Verse III - “To My Siblings”
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kWgD38CdnVIedMjK2it_EamFsEAbwm2F/view
WORKS PUBLISHED IN ANTHOLOGIES and other Published Works:
“From That Moment On” SBC Magazine Volume Four Issue One January 1995
“I Got Your Mail” SBC Magazine May/June 1996 issue
“Thoughts of a Mongoose” Nassau County Poet Laureate Society Review Vol VIII, 2020
“Vote For Our Lives” Moonstone Arts The Struggle For Liberty Vol.2
“America, I See” Performance Poets Association Literary Review Volume 25
“Tap, Tap, Tap” Performance Poets Association Literary Review Volume 26
“To My Siblings” Sailors Review Issue #58, May 2022
“Two Faced” Sailors Review Issue #59, June 2023
“Uncles Last Rites” Suffolk County Poetry Review 2023
“Borrowed Inspiration” CEED’s Sculpture On The Trail 2023
“Naturally” CEED’s Sculpture On The Trail 2024
“Of Love, Loss and Life” Poetry Bay Long Island Quarterly Winter 2023-2024
“Blue Muse” Poetry Bay Long Island Quarterly Winter 2024-2025
“Salty Growls “ Poetry X-Hunger - Hunger Poems 8-1-2023
“Left Blank” Poetry X-Hunger - Hunger Poems 12-1-2024
“In Between” All The Men Came and Danced, A Poetry Collection of Men’s Voices 2025
“The Beast” Some of The Beast Long Island Poetry 2024 presented by Long Island Poetry & Literature Repository
“Idea of America” Sailors Review, Issue #82, December 2024
“Shame Is Not Mine To Own-From A Child’s Voice” Bards Annual 2024 A Poetry Anthology
FEATURED APPEARANCES:
Alive on 25 Summer Street Festival - Arts Stage at East End Arts Riverhead, NY 8-10-2017
Anthology Of A Minority Poetry Recital hosted by Dr. Love. 2-24-2021
Poetry Street - 6-26-21
Jones Beach Energy & Nature Center Summer Poetry Festival 7-17-2021
Peconic Landing For Better For Verse 11-19-2021
Moonstone Arts Center’s Poetry Reading Struggle For Liberty 7-3-22
Poets in Port Coalition Ecumenical Lay Council Pantry Northport, NY 12-2-2022
CEED Sculpture On The Trail 8-19-2023 Event - “Borrowed Inspiration” - artist Ted Thirby
Poetry Series Jack Jack Coffee House - Babylon NY 12-7-2023
Soulful Sundown - Unitarian Universalist of Southold Poetry Event 5-25-2024
CEED Sculpture On The Trail 8-17-2024 Event - “Naturally” - artist Gregory Corn
CAPA NEWS -Summer 2024 ELIJA Farm in Huntington Station - Poetry Reading to celebrate Juneteenth and National Caribbean American Heritage Month. A Tribute to Jupiter Hammon presented by Paula Curci and Chip Williford.
Kick-out event Featuring Chip Williford and Judy Turek - Long Island Poetry and Literature Repository -Bohemia, NY 9-19-2024
Poetry Place Poetry Pairs Poetry Reading Series Fall 2024/Winter 2025
Poets Building Bridges Season Four 4-4-25 Poets from Riverhead, Shades Green, Sweden
Village Poetry, All Souls Church 5-10-25
From Near and Afar 5-19-25
SPECIAL SPEAKING EVENTS
Police reform Town Hall Speaker 12-1-2020 and 12-15-2020
Suffolk County Community College - RTV Speaker 2-8-2021
Celebrating Black History Guest Speaker “The Role Of Entertainment in Building Resilience Through Turbulent Times, Sponsored by Suffolk County Community College 2-25-21
P&G Specialties Presents Words of Expression Spoken Word Event 10-30-2022 - Bellport Brewery, Bellport, NY
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone Office of Minority Affairs, African American Advisory Board “The Black Renaissance Era”
Black History Month Program at Lee Dennison Bldg. Hauppaugue NY 2-16-2023
Spread The Love Fundraiser - Angels of Long Island - Riverhead plush Hall 4-29-2023
NAACP Juneteenth Celebration 7-17-2023
Poetry Class Speaker at Queens College Kelly Hall Room 419 - Professor Vivett Dukes’ Youth participatory Action Research Class 10-18-2023
NAACP - E.L.I.B. Jazz Brunch 7-20-24
WORKSHOP
Poetry Writing Workshop Facilitated by J R Turek Farmingdale Public Library 10-4-2023
OPEN MICS
Bowery Poetry Club
Stark
Harlem Nights
Nuyorican Poets Cafe
Parkside Lounge
East Meadow Public Library
West Hampton Coffee House 9-16-2017
Jones Beach Energy & Nature Center Summer Poetry Festival 7-17-2021
All Souls Church Second Saturdays Poetry Reading 2-12-22
Creativity for the Community 12-1-2022
SpoFest Poetry and Prose 12-2022
PPA Levittown Library 3-18-2023
Sachem Public Library 5-22-2023
Dog Eared Book Shop 2-7-2024
9-22-24 Walt Whitman Birthplace - Bards Annual 2024 Book Launch
9-25-24 Long Island University Post - Some of the Best long Island Poetry 2024
10-21-24 Levittown Town Hall - Long Island Sound Anthology 2023 Book Launch
3-20-25 LILR - Bohemia, NY - All The Men Came Anthology Book Launch
4-6-25 Long Beach Poetry Festival
5-10-25 Dog Eared Book Shop
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Phi Theta Kappa - AZN chapter -Vice President of Service “2013-14”
Poetry Street and Poetry Street On The Road - Director and cohost
NAACP Eastern Long Island Branch - Executive Board Member, and Scholarship Committee Chairman - NAACP/Suffolk County Community College Endowment Scholarship
Multicultural Solidarity Long Island - Friendship Circle Facilitator
Reading Reparations Study Group participant
Suffolk County Police Reform Town Hall Speaker
Northport Arts Coalition member and exhibit sponsor
UPCOMING FEATURED APPERANCES AND READINGS
June 16, 2025 The Oceanside Library Gazebo Reading
June 18, 2025 Poetry In Motion II Filming
June 21, 2025 Suffolk Youth Poetry Competition
June 22, 2025 The Scene’s Two-Year Anniversary Banquet
*On Sunday June 29th at 4 pm Walt Whitman Birthplace Association , located at 246 Walt Whitman Road, Huntington, NY will host a traditional celebration “The Passing of The Twig” ceremony and reading by Williford...the event is free and open to the public.
July 1, 2025 The, Green Space
August 1, 2025 Dog-Eared Book Store
August 16th at CEED’s Sculpture on The Trail.
Videos
It all begins with an idea.
Poetry Street On The Road Season One "The Film"
"Bohemia: Then And Now"
Conversations with Colleen featuring Jayda Ellis,
edited by Chip Williford Productions
Multi-Cultural Solidarity Long Island Grant Proposal Promotional Video 2021,
edited by Chip Williford Productions
The 47th Annual Audelco Awards Red Carpet Interviews
Hannah Kroner Fundraiser Promotional Video
Suffolk Theater Commercial
The New Millennium Jazz Band Featuring Jim Altamore and Pamela Lewis
Set One - https://youtu.be/IS5zO51xZiw
Set Two - https://youtu.be/HR3laxg2HJw
Jay White "America's Diamond" at The Suffolk Theater
When Black Women Gather "Unpacking Anti-Blackness, Packing Black Self Love",
hosted by Helen Higginbotham with guest Dr. Cleo Manago, edited by Chip Williford Productions.
Stony Brook University Africana Studies Department discussion on Dr Amiri Baraka
The Dispatchment Society by Maggie Bloomfield and Susan Dingle
More Videos On My YouTube Channel