PHILOPATRY

"Philopatry" features a captivating poem created this summer. Images from past filmmakers and from Jermaine’s own experience at Ruffner Mountain in Birmingham accompany the words.

The Alabama Poetry Delegation is a partnership between Alabama Poetry Laureate, Ashley M. Jones, and the Alabama Writers Forum that is supported by the Academy of American Poets and the Mellon Foundation, the delegation is a leadership and service initiative of Jones’ nonprofit organization, the Magic City Poetry Festival.

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 ››