Former Athens' poet laureate Jeff Fallis revels in the creative freedom of the art form

On the “City Lights” series “Speaking of Poetry,” Atlanta’s most prolific wordsmiths discuss the art of evoking emotions with words. This edition features former Athens poet laureate and spoken word artist Jeff Fallis.

“Poetry sort of allows contradictions to exist side-by-side in a way that, you know, maybe other types of writing or other types of art don’t, and I think that was useful to me,” said Fallis.

Fallis was the Athens Cultural Affairs Commission’s inaugural Poet Laureate for two years, ending in December 2023. As a shy teenager, Fallis found comfort in writing poetry as a way to express himself in ways he couldn’t otherwise. His poetry is about music, weather, ghosts and unworldly moments in everyday life.