Kimberly J. Simms

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Kimberly J. Simms is a South Carolina poet, [1] [2] educator, and non-profit leader. [3] Recognized for her contributions to the poetry slam community, Simms is celebrated for her work exploring the lives and voices of textile mill workers in the Piedmont region, as well as for her involvement in poetry performance [4] and education. [5] [6]

Contents

Early life

Simms was raised in Greenville, South Carolina. At age 18, she founded the first poetry slam in South Carolina [7] and became the youngest "slammaster" in the country. [8]

Literary career

Simms is the author of the poetry collection Lindy Lee: Songs on Mill Hill (2017), [9] which chronicles the lives of textile workers in the Piedmont region [10] with historical accuracy [11] and imaginative insight. [12] Her poetry explores themes of sorrow, joy, resilience, and redemption, and has appeared in literary magazines, [13] community projects, [14] [15] and anthologies.

She is a former Writer-in-Residence at the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site [16] and a featured speaker for the SC Humanities Council’s Speakers Bureau. [17] Her work is archived in the South Carolina Poetry Archives at Furman University. [18]

Simms is known in the performance poetry scene, [19] winning the 1998 Southern Fried Poetry Slam as a member of the first Greenville Slam Team, the first all women slam team in the nation. She was the founding director of the Say What Slam team and a pioneer in slam poetry. [20]

Non-profit leadership

In 2002, Simms founded Wits End Poetry, [21] [22] a literary non-profit organization dedicated to promoting poetry [23] and the spoken word. [24] Under her leadership, Wits End Poetry became a cornerstone of South Carolina’s literary community, organizing workshops, slams, and literary festivals. [25] She was the director of the first individual World Poetry Slam in 2004. [26] While on the board of Poetry Slam Inc., she conceptualized the Women of the World Poetry Slam. [27] Her non-profit work focuses on fostering creative communities and supporting emerging writers. [28]

Honors and recognition

Simms’s has been a TedX speaker [29] and a featured poet at literary festivals. [30] [31] [32]

Selected bibliography

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Kimberly Simms". Poets & Writers. 2018-04-09. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  2. ↑ "SC Poets Celebrated During Poetry Reading". Merit Pages. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  3. ↑ Howerton, Rebecca (2022-04-26). "Greenville Women Giving highlights the arts to build healthier, happier teens". GREENVILLE JOURNAL. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  4. ↑ "TEDxGreenvilleSalon | TED". www.ted.com. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  5. ↑ "Gibbs, Kimberly J. - 180". South Carolina Arts Commission. 2019-12-12. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  6. ↑ "This National Poetry Month try a poetry slam in your classroom! | Stories | March 31, 2021 | South Carolina ETV". www.scetv.org. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  7. ↑ Harris, Vincent (2021-04-01). "Kimberly Simms and Wit's End Poetry take verse from the page to the stage". GREENVILLE JOURNAL. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  8. ↑ Abbott, Bill (2015). Let Them Eat Moon Pies (2nd ed.). United States: Brick Road Poetry Press. ISBN   978-1937793265.
  9. ↑ "Lindy Lee: Songs on Mill Hill by Kimberly J. Simms – Finishing Line Press" . Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  10. ↑ "Lindy Lee: Songs on Mill Hill by Kimberly J. Simms | South 85 Journal" . Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  11. ↑ Hove, Scott (2017-12-12). "Book Feature: Songs on Mill Hill". The Laurel of Asheville. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  12. ↑ Hyde, Paul. "Brutal and bountiful: Greenville poet's 'Lindy Lee' recalls Upstate's textile history". The Greenville News. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  13. ↑ "Kimberly J. Simms". 2024-10-20. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  14. ↑ Fitzgerald, Megan (2023-09-16). "Greenlink Poetry Project shines light on the importance of public transportation". GREENVILLE JOURNAL. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  15. ↑ City of Greenville, South Carolina (2023-09-06). Greenlink Poems | Kimberly Simms . Retrieved 2024-11-26– via YouTube.
  16. ↑ Rock, Mailing Address: 81 Carl Sandburg Lane Flat; Us, NC 28731 Phone: 828 693-4178 Contact. "2016 Carl Sandburg Writer-in-Residence - Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 2024-11-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  17. ↑ "Kimberly Simms - Speakers Bureau - SC Humanities". schumanities.org. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  18. ↑ Cowart, Julia A. "LibGuides: S.C. Poetry Archives: Lists of Poets". libguides.furman.edu. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  19. ↑ Harris, Vincent (2021-04-01). "Kimberly Simms and Wit's End Poetry take verse from the page to the stage". GREENVILLE JOURNAL. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  20. ↑ Olson, Alix (2007). Word Warriors: 35 Women Leaders in the Spoken Word Revolution. United States: Seal Press. ISBN   9781580052214.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  21. ↑ "Wit's End Poetry". www.visitgreenvillesc.com. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  22. ↑ "Wits End Poetry | Metropolitan Arts Council | Greenville, SC". www.greenvillearts.com. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  23. ↑ Poets, Academy of American. "Wits End Poetry". Poets.org. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  24. ↑ "Wit's End Poetry". www.witsendpoetry.com. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  25. ↑ "Southern Fried Poetry Slam comes to Greenville". Spartanburg Herald Journal. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  26. ↑ STAFF, SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER (2004-02-13). "Seattleite claims top prize in World Poetry Slam Championship". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  27. ↑ "About Us". Women of the World Poetry Slam. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  28. ↑ Jeter, John (2020-02-27). "Dove Dupree: Using his voice, keeping the faith". GREENVILLE JOURNAL. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  29. ↑ "TEDxGreenvilleSalon | TED". www.ted.com. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  30. ↑ "A Festival Reading: A Poetic Journey through South Carolina - SC Humanities". schumanities.org. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  31. ↑ "KJ Gibbs". Speaking Down Barriers. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  32. ↑ "Visual and Verse – Sense of Place – Glenis Redmond". 2024-09-04. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
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