Buffalo, NY – The Canisius University Contemporary Writers Series is excited to welcome Aitina Fareed-Cooke, the poet laureate of Buffalo, for a special performance on Thursday, April 3, at 7:00 p.m. in the Grupp Fireside Lounge, located on the second floor of the Richard E. Winter ’42 Student Center. Following the performance, attendees will have the opportunity to engage with Fareed-Cooke during a question-and-answer session, with a reception to follow.
Aitina Fareed-Cooke is a multifaceted artist - creative arts strategist, national recording artist and Buffalo’s current poet laureate. Born and raised in Buffalo, she has dedicated her career to uplifting the voices of marginalized communities through storytelling and the arts.
In addition to her role as poet laureate, Fareed-Cooke is the founder of Get Fokus'd Productions, an award-winning media arts company that collaborates with emerging and professional artists to produce “human-first” narratives through digital storytelling. Her work has earned her numerous accolades, including the 43 North Ignite Buffalo People’s Choice Award, Buffalo State University’s Young Alumnus Achievement Award, a Citizens Bank Community Champion Award, and the Arts Services Inc. Trailblazer of the Arts Award.
Fareed-Cooke holds a BA in English and an MA in education from Buffalo State University.
Founded with a grant from the John R. Oishei Foundation and continued through the Peter Canisius Distinguished Teaching Professorship Program, the Contemporary Writes Series is generously supported today by the Hassett, Scoma, and Lowery Endowments, and by gifts from loyal patrons. The series also collaborates with several local partners including The Buffalo & Erie County Public Library, Just Buffalo Literary Center, and Talking Leaves Books.
For more information about Aitina Fareed-Cooke and the Contemporary Writers Series, please visit www.canisius.edu/writers. To receive a livestream link of the event, please contact Mick Cochrane, PhD, coordinator of the Contemporary Writers Series, at @email.
Canisius was founded in 1870 in Buffalo, NY, and is one of 27 Jesuit colleges and universities in the U.S. Consistently ranked among the top institutions in the Northeast, Canisius offers undergraduate, graduate and pre-professional programs distinguished by close student-faculty collaboration, mentoring and an emphasis on ethical, purpose-driven leadership.
