James Baker Hall was a Kentucky writer, Poet Laureate and photographer who made an impact on generations of Kentucky writers through his teaching at the University of Kentucky, his writing and photography. He was a member of the famed “Fab Five” group of Kentucky writers as well as the genre defining Lexington Camera Club. To continue his legacy, Hall’s family has created the James Baker Hall Foundation which will hold its opening event on Wednesday, May 1, 2024 from 5:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. at the Carnegie Center for Literacy, 251 W. 2nd St. in Lexington, Kentucky. The free event will introduce the goals of the new foundation’s mission and vision to provide direct support to Kentucky artists to keep the unique voice of Kentucky strong.

The celebratory event will feature readings by Affrilachian Poets Frank X Walker and Marta
Miranda-Straub as well as Robert Gipe, Maurice Manning and Cecilia Wolach. The program will also feature reading by the current Kentucky Youth Poet Laureate, Zoya Abbas, who attends Lafayette High School in Lexington. To attend the May 1 event at the Carnegie Center for Literacy, go to the James Baker Hall Foundation website, www.jamesbakerhallfoundation.org to RSVP.