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