At the recent gala for fabulous youth-poetry nonprofit Get Lit at the Grammy Museum—which featured powerful readings by Grammy nominees in the Spoken Word category—famous program alumna and RCA star H.E.R. wondered what poetic form would best describe being stuck in a photo op with HITS SVP Simon Glickman (r) and Managing Editor Jesse MacMillan. She ultimately decided a limerick would be most apt, though unprintable. Simon, a living illustration that it is possible to get too much lit, had a traumatic flashback to a grad-school seminar on Lacanian tropes in the later works of Ogden Nash. Meanwhile, the publicist overseeing this photo shoot instructed Jesse not to slouch.

Seriously, though, check out Get Lit here and, if possible, get involved.

Later, H.E.R., who received the IGNITE ARTIST award at the event, joined fellow poets, org VIPs and others for a much less awkward photo op. Seen thinking that our website sure has a lot of verbiage despite saying nothing are (l-r) Los Angeles Poet Laureate Lynne Thompson; 2022 Grammy nominee Sekou Andrews; poet and performer Shihan Van Clief, who was presented with the IGNITE COMMUNITY Award; H.E.R.; Aron Baumel, partner at Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson & Christopher, member of Get Lit’s advisory board and recipient of the IGNITE ADVISOR honor; Get Lit founder Diane Luby Lane; Grammy nominee J. Ivy; and (in front) L.A. Youth Poet Laureate Salome Agbaroji.

Photos: Unique Nicole