September 21, 2025: Phylisha Villanueva

Read an Interview with Phylisha Villanueva, conducted by Michael Quattrone.

Phylisha Villanueva, Westchester County’s Poet Laureate, is a Belizean-American poet, curator, and educator exploring identity, resilience, and motherhood. Born in the Bronx and raised in Yonkers, she co-founded The Yonkers Writing Group and launched downtown Yonkers’ first teen open mic at 17. A teaching artist for ArtsWestchester, Phylisha is a member of The Jazz and Poetry Choir Collective and Tesoro, an international women’s poetry collective. Her self-published poetic memoir, “Pretty Girl Special,” delves into personal narratives of survival and healing. She is pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing (Poetry) at St. Francis College.

Phylisha will read in the Garden Room at the Katonah Village Library at 4:00 pm on Sunday, September 21, 2025. Suggested donation for admission is $15.