About the Director
Born in Louisville, Mississippi, Jermaine Thompson learned language from big-armed women who greased their skillets with gossip and from full-bellied men who cursed and prayed with the same fervor. He’s been writing poetry since he was 13 — inspired by having to memorize Langston Hughes’ “Harlem” for a Black History Program at his Presbyterian church home. Jermaine loves language for what it creates, what it destroys, what binds in heaven, & for what it loses on earth. Jermaine teaches 9th –12th grade Humanities at Build Up Community School in Birmingham, AL. He has publications in The Pinch, Memorious, Whale Road Review, Southern Indiana Review, and New Letters. In his spare time, he enjoys word games, live music, theater, and buying statement hoodies. Jermaine is our special Poet and Filmmaking Fellow for 2024. His film and poem were made as part of the Alabama Poetry Delegation, a partnership between Alabama Poetry Laureate Ashley M. Jones, and the Alabama Writers Forum. It is supported by the Academy of American Poets and the Mellon Foundation.
Learn more about the Southern Exposure fellowship program ››