Vermont Public Radio Introduces Us to Burlington Poet Rajnii Eddins

For Vermont Public Radio's news program, Anna Van Dine reveals under-the-radar Vermont-based poet Rajnii Eddins. She remembers that, on an evening "in late June, Burlington poet Rajnii Eddins stood at a podium at the Fletcher Free Library. He wore a sweatshirt printed with Malcolm X’s face and looked out at the room through large, gold-rimmed glasses." Picking up from there: 

Eddins asked the audience members to rub their hands together, explaining, “This is what we do at the poetry experience, it’s to give the artist some energy.”

“Okay,” Eddins said, “release it to me.” He took a breath and began to share poems from his new book, Their Names Are Mine. 

This wasn’t his first time in front of a crowd; Eddins has been sharing poetry for about as long as he’s been writing it. At age 11, he was the youngest member of the African-American Writers’ Alliance, which his mom, Randee Eddins, started in Seattle.

As a poet herself, she inspired a love for reading and writing in her son. As soon as he was old enough, Randee had her son read her own poetry back to her, out loud. She’s also the one who got him started working with young people.

“My mother was a foster parent to over 70 children,” said Eddins, “So I was always the older brother. I’m pretty adept at working with all ages from children to adolescents. They have such vibrant imaginations, and they haven’t yet been socialized to perceive themselves as limited or to feel like they can’t be sincere.”

Learn more at Vermont Public Radio.