Kay Bell is Russell Sage College’s 2025 Donahue Poet

Person with long braids in a black dress standing in a grassy field with eyes closed

In celebration of National Poetry Month, Bronx Poet Laureate Kay Bell will be giving a public reading in Bush Memorial Center on Russell Sage College’s Troy campus on April 17 at 6 p.m.

A question and answer session will follow the reading. The event is open to the public and is free of charge.

Kay Bell is a visionary poet, educator, and community leader, currently serving as the 2023-2025 Bronx Poet Laureate. Author of two poetry collections, Cry Sweat Bleed Write and Diary of an Intercessor, Bell believes writing works as a birthing floor for healing, invention, and reimagination where the poetic voice is responsible for both blessing and bruising the inquiring reader.

She earned an MFA from The City College of New York, where she also works as an adjunct professor and academic advisor. When Bell isn’t teaching or writing, she can be found nurturing her plants and her two sons in the heart of the South Bronx.

Recent News

November 10, 2026

Russell Sage Board of Trustees Announces Renewal of President Matthew Shaftel’s Contract Through 2031

The Russell Sage College Board of Trustees has announced the contract renewal of President Matthew Shaftel for a five-year term, extending his appointment at Russell Sage through 2031. Shaftel joined Russell Sage in July 2024 and has since led the college through historic growth, an ambitious new strategic plan, record fundraising, and a transformative merger […]
Read More
November 8, 2026

Russell Sage College Students Present Research at New York Six Undergraduate Research Conference

Nine Russell Sage College students presented research at the New York Six Undergraduate Research Conference held at Union College on November 7, 2026. This range of topics demonstrates the curiosity, creativity, and academic engagement of Russell Sage students and highlights the exciting research and faculty-mentored work taking place across the college, said Professor of Spanish […]
Read More
November 4, 2026

Arthur O. Eve HEOP at Russell Sage Leads Session at Statewide Conference

Leaders and academic counselors from Russell Sage College’s Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) shared their expertise at New York State’s Opportunity Program Fall Training Conference hosted at Hamilton College, October 15 and 16, 2026. Executive Director Jermaine Privott, Associate Director Tasha Pringle, and Academic Success Counselors Darlene Tiburcio, Deanna Cooper, and Alex […]
Read More