We’re thrilled to welcome Rishona Michael as our 2025–2026 Poetry Coalition Fellow. During her fellowship, Rishona will support Kundiman’s development and fundraising efforts. Thank you to the Mellon Foundation and the Poetry Coalition for the funding that makes this opportunity possible.

Rishona Michael (she/her) is a Brooklyn based poet. A graduate of the Sarah Lawrence College MFA program where she won an Academy of American Poets University Prize, her work has appeared in or is forthcoming from No, Dear, Sho Journal, Poets.org, Black Warrior Review, and more. She has received support from Sundress Academy for the Arts, reads for Pigeon Pages, and teaches poetry courses through GrubStreet. She is super excited to be working with Kundiman as the new Poetry Coalition Fellow.