februaries
februaries is a chapbook of poems inspired by the National African American Read-In (AARI) founded by the Black Caucus of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). Chronicling and preserving the achievements and contributions of ancestors Harriet Tubman, Billie Holiday, Maya Angelou, and others, februaries, a museum constructed of poignant poems diverse in form, reminds readers: Black History is American History, and it should be “celebrated, appreciated, and narrated” well beyond the annual 28-day observance. Inspired by the literary tradition established by an assembly of living legends from the Washington D.C. metropolitan area, such as Dr. Joanne V. Gabbin and E. Ethelbert Miller, Evans, a fifth-generation Washingtonian (D.C.) and English teacher, revisits significant and complicated moments from America’s past to spark necessary and challenging conversations about the future of humanity.
februaries will be released on February 3, 2026 by Yellow Arrow Publishing. To order a copy, visit their website.
Cover Art by Harrison Evans
advance praise for februaries
“februaries by Michele Evans is a compilation of eleven years of Black History Month reflections in verse, highlighting celebrated authors, thinkers, poets, and artists. Written in a voice steeped in the heartbreaking dynamic that is being Black in America, Evans’ one-of-a-kind style sings like a canary in the coal mine, warning us of the dangers of losing our humanity and urging us to see each other with gentleness and grace. februaries meets this moment, inspiring us to think, act, and speak about the injustices of our time.”
—Rowana Abbensetts-Dobson, author of Departure Story, founder of Spoken Black Girl, and Editor-in-Chief of Spoken Black Girl Magazine
“In a time of silencing and censorship, Michele Evans’ februaries speaks loudly, telling the truth about our history and the people who lived it. From Billie Holiday and Harriet Tubman to nameless citizens buried in ‘subsidized pine boxes,’ Evans’ powerful poems celebrate the labor and resistance of our ancestors, keeping their memory alive in spite of the forces that would have us forget. In its search for the lessons of the past, februaries gives us courage to face the future.”
—Holly Karapetkova, author of Dear Empire
more praise for februaries
“Every poem in februaries is a tribute, a heartbreak, a moment to pause and catch your breath. Michele Evans always devastates me! I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time.”
—Hannah Grieco, author of First Kicking, Then Not
“With februaries Evans raises her voice as mother, educator, and poet. She weaves praise songs and dire warnings with a melody of diverse poetic stylings. februaries is a treasure that will be a fixture on the shelves of school libraries as lyrical libations and life lessons of the Black literary tradition. Living legends are alive in februaries: Joanne V. Gabbin, E. Ethelbert Miller, Alice Walker, and Le Hinton! And the ancestors are not forgotten. Maya Angelou, Venus Thrash, and Reuben Jackson sing a medley from the Black South to northwest [Washington] D.C. Evans has turned Black History and National Poetry Month into a flavorful gumbo of daily consumption and enjoyment.”
—Kenneth Carroll, board member of the American Poetry Museum, former director of the African American Writers Guild and D.C. WritersCorp
“februaries is a touching, honorific, and nimble collection of verse. The poet, Michele Evans, marvelously commands a variety of forms, including eintou, triolet, cento, ghazal, blackout, and double golden shovel. Through it all, the words sing and sharply remind us of history and precarity—and also love.”
—Keith Gilyard, author of Impressions: New and Selected Poems
“Evans’ februaries is a gorgeous celebration, game, and dedication to the Black artists that, despite everything, continue to make art for themselves and their communities. Using poetic forms, both traditional and experimental, these poems teach ancestry, responsibility, and freedom, which Evans asserts ‘means nothing to one until it means / everything to all.’ A musical reckoning, a worshipful moment, and a praise dance for all there is to come, februaries loves its community, believes in miracles, and reminds us that history is right now—and we must stay awake to make it.”
—Monica Prince, author of FORCE: A Choreopoem and Roadmap: A Choreopoem
media kit for februaries
februaries playlist
februaries reading companion
coming soon…