About.
Did You Know…
Enid Pickett has been writing poetry since she was a child. She won a poetry contest while attending Findlay University, Findlay, Ohio. She won first prize; tickets to see Jimi Hendrix.
This embarked her poetic journey studying poets such as June Jordan, Maya Angelou, The Last Poets, Nikki Giovanni, bell hooks, and Tupac Shakur.
Her influences include the wisdom of, Toni Morrison, Isabel Wilkerson, Tim Wise, Angela Davis, Cornel West, Sweet Honey and the Rock, Nina Simone, Miles Davis, Bruce Springsteen, Gregory Porter, Abbey Lincoln, Joni Mitchell, Wes Montgomery, Carlos Santana and John Coltrane.
Her poetry paths crossed in Healdsburg, California. Meeting Jessica Felix, Founder of the Healdsburg Jazz Festival and Marcus Shelby, Artistic Director of Healdsburg Jazz, along with Tiffany Austin, Choir Director of the Healdsburg Freedom Jazz Choir. She sang in the Healdsburg Freedom Jazz Choir for over ten years.
Recognizing her talent, Shelby invited her to be the first Artist in Residence as their Poet Laureate in 2020. She and the Marcus Shelby Jazz Band performed at the historic San Francisco Jazz Center honoring Duke Ellington. In 2023, they performed at SF Jazz Center for the United Nations 75th Celebration of Human Rights. They have performed at several events with Healdsburg Jazz and around northern California.
Enid has collaborated and performed with Destiny Muhammad, John Santos, Faye Carol, Kenny Washington, Lewis Watts, Carlton Page AKA, Writ3rtha 3rd, Kennan Webster, Stella Heath, Sylvia Cuenca, Tammy Lynne Hall, and many more musicians and other artists.
Did you know Enid performs regularly with Abiodun Oyewole of the Last Poets in an amazing Open House forum with poets from all over the world?
Poets who have inspired Enid are very close to her heart. Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Climbing Poetree, Naima Penniman, Alixa Garcia, Aduka Utah, Saul Williams, and the San Francisco Youth Speaks Slam Poets.
Bio
Enid Pickett is a poet, writer, and teacher. With over 30 years of teaching experience, she has served as a master teacher at Sonoma State University, as well as on the Advisory Board of Learning for Justice. She also trained with NEA Human and Civil Rights Department as a Diversity Trainer for 15 years, and she was a Commissioner on the Status of Women in Sonoma County.
Enid sang in the Healdsburg Freedom Jazz Choir for several years. In 2020, she became the Poet Laureate for Healdsburg Jazz. She has appeared at the San Francisco Jazz Center and The Raven Theater. She is one of the founding members of an Edutainment Women’s Collective, The Nubian Café Collective. Enid lives in Sonoma County Wine Country, Windsor, California.