On Tuesday, September 5 at 6:00PM, Philadelphia Poet Laureate YOLANDA WISHER presents an improvisational reading from MAPLE STREET RAG, her second volume of poems. This work-in-progress is a record of the genealogical journey she’s been on since 2014, when she started researching her roots in Ambler, Pennsylvania, once known as the “asbestos capital of the world.” Wisher’s family lived on Maple Street in Ambler for generations, and she uses musical backdrops (like Scott Joplin’s “Maple Leaf Rag”), unexpected heirlooms, DNA testing, and public records to trace, chart, prompt and shape the story of her fragmented family across centuries and continents. Wisher and her band THE AFROEATERS, featuring Jim Dragoni (guitar), Sirlance Gamble (drums) & Mark Palacio (double bass) will read poems, share images, perform songs, and invite members of the audience to take part in a Q&A following the show.