Jerri Hardesty: Changing Lives Through Poetry

 ========= Old Image Removed =========1Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2015/10/hardesty_pic1-e1445879718960.png
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:480;s:6:"height";i:302;s:4:"file";s:40:"2015/10/hardesty_pic1-e1445879718960.png";s:5:"sizes";a:5:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:40:"hardesty_pic1-e1445879718960-336x211.png";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:211;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:40:"hardesty_pic1-e1445879718960-140x140.png";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:38:"hardesty_pic1-e1445879718960-80x80.png";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:40:"hardesty_pic1-e1445879718960-421x265.png";s:5:"width";i:421;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:40:"hardesty_pic1-e1445879718960-125x125.png";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_wp_attachment_backup_sizes] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:7:{s:9:"full-orig";a:3:{s:5:"width";i:480;s:6:"height";i:438;s:4:"file";s:17:"hardesty_pic1.png";}s:14:"thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"hardesty_pic1-140x140.png";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:11:"medium-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"hardesty_pic1-336x307.png";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:307;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"hardesty_pic1-370x338.png";s:5:"width";i:370;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:23:"wbhm-featured-home-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"hardesty_pic1-341x311.png";s:5:"width";i:341;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:27:"wbhm-featured-carousel-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"hardesty_pic1-290x265.png";s:5:"width";i:290;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:19:"post-thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"hardesty_pic1-125x125.png";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}}
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:905582;s:14:"optimized_size";i:348821;s:7:"percent";d:61.479999999999997;}s:5:"sizes";a:7:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:68:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/10/hardesty_pic1-e1445879718960.png";s:13:"original_size";i:284823;s:14:"optimized_size";i:108957;s:7:"percent";d:61.75;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:76:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/10/hardesty_pic1-e1445879718960-140x140.png";s:13:"original_size";i:44652;s:14:"optimized_size";i:16770;s:7:"percent";d:62.439999999999998;}s:6:"medium";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:76:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/10/hardesty_pic1-e1445879718960-336x211.png";s:13:"original_size";i:145048;s:14:"optimized_size";i:56514;s:7:"percent";d:61.039999999999999;}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:74:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/10/hardesty_pic1-e1445879718960-80x80.png";s:13:"original_size";i:16237;s:14:"optimized_size";i:6600;s:7:"percent";d:59.350000000000001;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:76:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/10/hardesty_pic1-e1445879718960-300x300.png";s:13:"original_size";i:164876;s:14:"optimized_size";i:62329;s:7:"percent";d:62.200000000000003;}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:76:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/10/hardesty_pic1-e1445879718960-421x265.png";s:13:"original_size";i:213391;s:14:"optimized_size";i:83907;s:7:"percent";d:60.68;}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:76:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/10/hardesty_pic1-e1445879718960-125x125.png";s:13:"original_size";i:36555;s:14:"optimized_size";i:13744;s:7:"percent";d:62.399999999999999;}}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

)
1637559633 
1445842124

Jerri Hardesty

Emotion often fuels poetry.  Sometimes though that emotion is so personal it’s like being let into a secret space.  That’s the way it is with poems we’ll hear from Jerri Hardesty. She’s president of the Alabama State Poetry Society.  She’s won more than 600 awards and titles for both written and spoken word poetry.  Hardesty talks to WBHM’s Michael Krall and she begins with a piece called “This Poem.”  (A word of caution – the material is not suitable for children.)

Hardesty along with her husband Kirk, runs the nonprofit organization, New Dawn Unlimited, Inc., dedicated to poetry publishing, production, performance, promotion, preservation, and education.

Hardesty and with other poets will perform at the BamaSlam Montevallo Poetry Slam at Eclipse Coffee and Books on Friday, November 13, at 9 p.m.


“This Poem” by Jerri Hardesty:


“Stargazing” by Jerri Hardesty:

 

Trump names former Florida AG Pam Bondi as his new pick for U.S. attorney general

After former Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew from consideration, President-elect Donald Trump named Pam Bondi, a former attorney general of Florida, as his next pick for U.S. attorney general.

Police report gives details, timeline of the sexual assault claim against Pete Hegseth

The woman who accused then-Fox News host of sexual assault in 2017 said that she "remembered saying 'no' a lot," according to a police report. Hegseth is President-elect Donald Trump's choice for Secretary of Defense.

Alabama Black Belt’s sewer crisis a tougher fix for residents in manufactured homes

Poor sanitation has long plagued residents in Alabama’s Black Belt. For people with manufactured houses, finding a solution has been more challenging.

In Birmingham, Black men’s groups work to save young men from the cycle of gun violence

As the city inches closer to its homicide record, community members are trying to address a sense of fatalism and lack of opportunity felt by some young men.

What is the ICC and can it really arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu?

The ICC also issued warrants for Yoav Gallant, former Israeli defense minister, and Hamas leader Muhammad Deif. But it doesn't have an enforcement mechanism and relies on states to make the arrests.

Former Brazilian president indicted over alleged coup plot

Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro and several others have been charged with attempting to overthrow incoming government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in 2022.

More Arts and Culture Coverage