POETRY AND HISTORY: The Arts Council of Princeton and the Witherspoon-Jackson Historical and Cultural Society have partnered on the publication of two books honoring the legacy of the community. The Rev. Gregory S. Smith, shown at right, is the author of a book of poetry, for which the cover was designed by his son. Arts Council Director Adam Welch has written a brief socio-political history “zine” about the neighborhood.

By Anne Levin

Everyone is invited to a book launch party on Sunday, February 2 at the Arts Council of Princeton, where two new publications celebrating the Witherspoon-Jackson Historic District, home base to the nonprofit, will be officially unveiled.

The Rev. Gregory S. Smith, who grew up in the neighborhood, has written a book of poems, titled Reflections from a Vibrant Past. Arts Council Director Adam Welch’s 4-by-6-inch, 56-page “zine,” simply titled Witherspoon-Jackson Neighborhood, tells the history of the area through artfully arranged text, reproduced maps, photographs, and illustrations.

Smith plans to read some of his poems at the launch party on Sunday, as will a number of his subjects. Formerly a social worker, currently a minister (of Fisk Chapel AME Church in Fair Haven) and a writer since his teens — he was often asked to write poetry for funerals of local community icons — he moved to the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood from Long Beach, Calif., when he was 10, after his mother married the Rev. Leon Gipson, pastor of Princeton’s Mount Pisgah AME Church. Gipson is among the nearly 100 subjects in the book, some of whom are represented in poems; others in a section called “vignettes.”

“There were so many characters in the neighborhood,” Smith said. “Certainly, there were mentors like Bill Johnson, the first Black principal at John Witherspoon [middle school]; Romus Broadway and John Broadway, who continues to be a great mentor to me; and my stepfather. Then there were just the kind of people who didn’t really stand out a lot, but were so important to me.”

One of them was Sheila Wooding, “who kind of took me in as an adolescent, and took me on trips,” he said. “I took care of her son sometimes. There were always people stepping in and helping me at whatever state I was at in life. It was part of the culture of the community, and we helped each other in every way we could.”

The poem about Wooding includes the lines “She cared for all our children/She visited our old/And though not always dressed in white/True missionary bold.”

Some of the subjects are familiar names: Shirley Satterfield, Lance Liverman, Albert E. Hinds, Clyde Pannell, John Bailey, Jimmy Mack, Leighton Newlin, Jim and Fannie Floyd. Those less known to the public are no less important to Smith. He remembers some with humor.

“My next-door neighbor was a retired postmaster, very stoic and conservative during the day,” he recalled. “But at night, he’d go and have a little drink at the American Legion, and come back this completely different person. The next day he’d say, ‘Please forgive me.’ I have a great poem that I’ll read at the event. It’s my favorite. It talks about our relationship and how it evolved over the years.”

For Welch, inspiration to create Witherspoon-Jackson Neighborhood came after he was invited to join the board of the Witherspoon-Jackson Historical and Cultural Society. Since taking over as director of the Arts Council in 2020, he has made an effort to engage with its surrounding community.

“What I started to notice was that there were some things we seemed to lack in understanding about Witherspoon-Jackson, and one of them was the history,” Welch said. “I know there have been books, but they weren’t widely known. I had done a ‘zine’ on Paul Robeson, and I liked the idea. From my perspective, it’s an artist’s magazine with unique art objects, generally produced on a smaller scale. Mine started with that idea.”

The 4-by-6-inch publication fits in a pocket. “Even though it’s an important subject, it’s not so formal and heavy,” Welch said. “It’s a little bit more fun. I worked over a month to show them my idea at the Witherspoon-Jackson Historical and Cultural Society, and they were interested. So I spent the next four months doing research and putting it together.”

An admitted research addict who “goes down the rabbit hole” of old, local newspapers when he can’t sleep at night, Welch enjoyed the process. “I picked and chose a lot of the tidbits in there,” he said. “I had a lot of fun. It was really interesting to learn all of these stories and see all these things. It felt like a document that was more accessible because it’s not some big, hardcover book.”

Proceeds from purchases of the books go to the Arts Council and the Witherspoon-Jackson Historical and Cultural Society. Smith’s volume is priced at $25, while Welch’s is $15. To order, visit artscouncilofprinceton.org/about/witherspoon-jackson-neighborhood.

Or go to the party on Sunday, February 2, which is from 2-4 p.m., and is free and open to all. The Arts Council is at 102 Witherspoon Street.