Everyone Has a Voice: Mark Pawlak, Darvince Oddies, Hope Z. Fernandes

The NEPC is happy to announce a collaboration with Phillip Hasouris, recent Brockton Poet Laureate. In January, we’ll participate in the series, “Everyone Has a Voice,” presented at the Brockton Public Library. These events pair an established poet with a student poet and include an open mic. This month’s reading is hosted by Queen of Ceremonies Hope Z. Fernandes and takes place in the Driscoll Art Gallery. The library offers ample off-street parking.

Mark Pawlak is the author of ten poetry collections, most recently Away Away (Arrowsmith Press, 2024), and the memoir My Deniversity: Knowing Denise Levertov (MadHat Press, 2021). His poems have been translated into German, Japanese, Polish, and Spanish. In English, his poems and prose have appeared widely in anthologies such as The Best American Poetry and Blood to Remember: American Poets on the Holocaust, among many other places. As managing editor of Hanging Loose Press, he has published four anthologies of the “Best Poetry” by high school-age writers.

Darvince Oddies is a 15-year-old Haitian student at New Heights Charter School, and he is the youngest of three children. He is named after his father and has “Viguez” as his middle name. Darvince developed a passion for poetry in 2020, initially using it to cope with his emotions. After 2023, he began writing less often, choosing instead to share his poems out loud with friends. Encouraged by his friends, who recognized his potential and talent, and by teachers who heard his earlier work, Darvince has been inspired to return to writing and begin performing his poems.

Hope Z.  Fernandes, CAGS, is a Massachusetts professionally licensed educator in multiple areas who has taught for decades and was a school administrator almost as long. She has data-driven experience in equity and inclusion, as well as mindfulness and compassion education.  She has been a teacher, Director of Language Acquisition, Assistant Principal of Discipline, Assistant Principal of Teaching, Learning, 504s and Special Education, a Principal, Visiting Lecturer at Bridgewater State College, as well as the University of Massachusetts Boston.  As an Educational Leader, she has focused on Equity and Inclusion Practices as they relate to student success and educator inclusion.

Ms. Fernandes has been writing poetry since her formative years.  Her first published poem, “The Gallery,” appeared in Silver Spectrum in 1989. She went on to be the Editor of her college poetry magazine, The Tree Well.  She began the first High School competitive Poetry Slam Group on the South Shore in 1996, where her students competed orally in poetry competitions.  She has coached three of the Massachusetts Poetry Out Loud State Champions and two second runners-up for Poetry Out Loud’s National Championships.  Her love for poetry stems from her mother, who had a poem for every life situation.  Hope describes Poetry as honoring and celebrating each other as humans in the most compassionate, mindful, and humble ways; her poetry celebrates Cape Verdean Culture, family, and her students.