nicole v basta, Tompkins County Poet Laureate
Beginning with the general concept of water, we will consider prompts that explore our homewaters, the first water of our memory. We will acknowledge the long history of our local waterways and Cayuga Lake beginning before colonization and even human inhabitants. nicole will guide participants through creative questions that investigate their thoughts and feelings on the strain and stress data centers, AI, and ecocide will have on our environment including the planned data center would have on Cayuga Lake. This class is taught by Tompkins County poet laureate nicole v basta and made possible by the generous support of the Academy of American Poets and the Mellon Foundation.
nicole v basta's poems have found homes in Ploughshares, Blackbird, Third Coast, North American Review, etc. Her second chapbook the next field over, (2022) was published by Tolsun Books. nicole is also community educator, arts events producer, and visual artist with proud roots in the Pennsylvania coal mines & garment factories. Her work has been supported by grants and residencies from places like Art Farm Nebraska, Monson Arts, The Saltonstall Foundation. She is the Poet Laureate of Tompkins County, NY and a 2026 Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellow.