Dwayne Lawson-Brown (aka Crochet Kingpin) always had a passion for communication. The Southeast Washington, DC native said before they could write their name, they’d scribble letters to their father (they were estranged) and though no one knew what they said, in their mind, they were detailed pleas for time. Lawson-Brown started skipping school when they were in high school because they grew exhausted and overwhelmed from having to travel over an hour across town everyday for classes; in their spare time, they wrote poetry about depression, community observations and teen angst, all while failing English. Things changed once they attended class.

“My teacher sees me writing in my notepad and asks what I’m working on (since it clearly wasn’t the assigned reading), I told her it was a poem. Ms. Thompson made me stay after class that day and read her my poem. In that moment, she changed my life,” Lawson-Brown said. “She would go on to grade my poetry as long as I wrote work based on our core reading. I passed the class and started to see the merit behind my hobby.”

At 15, Lawson-Brown was a self described “public health educator writing poetry and monologues” after they went on to perform as a member of Metro TeenAIDS’ New School Activists, which took a variety show approach to HIV education and healthy decision making. After the group disbanded, they started frequenting open mics, the first of which was A Side Of Slam where they were reintroduced to Drew Anderson (a close friend and fellow poet who founded and co-hosts Spit Dat, DC’s longest running open mic series, with them), and the rest, according to them, was history being written.

Keep reading to find out more about Spit Dat, impact and Lawson-Brown’s other specialty: crocheting.

1. How long have you been crocheting and what/who got you started?

I started crocheting in 2004. I always wanted to learn to crochet. My mom made me a gorgeous blanket back in the 80s and I was incredibly inspired. But as a child, I didn’t have the patience to learn the skill. Fast forward to 2004 and I’m dating a young lady who used latch hook as a hobby. I figured I’d pick up a craft too. CRAFT DATES! Long story shortened: the romance ended but the craft stuck around.

2. Describe Spit Dat DC, your role and what future goals do you have for it? Discuss being a venue host captain for Busboys and Poets 450K. 

Spit Dat DC has been referred to as “Poets Church”. We’ve been rocking for 20 years, making us the longest running open mic in DC. Word to the founder Drew Anderson and the vision to aim at a comfortable atmosphere for sharing and performance. Over the years we’ve had a bunch of venues, including JavaHead Cafe (RIP) MochaHut Cafe on U St. (RIP), The Emergence Community Arts Collective (RIP), and my basement. We’ve found home in Woolly Mammoth Theater Company. A team that is equally committed to great productions and community building.

I want Spit Dat to continue to be a place for DC artists to build, to cross pollinate with national artists, and understand the legacy that they carry. There are many artists that have grown with and through Spit Dat — Jason Reynolds, Candice Illoh, Rasheed Copland, Pages Mataam, Mary Bowman, BOOMscat, Christyles Bacon, etc. All have called Spit Dat home over the years. And many will continue to build careers, while simply seeking space to express themselves.  Spit Dat is a spot where you can share a brand new piece or perform a “tried and true” work. The goal is that balance.

3. Describe RealTalkDC and Floetic Fridays at Freestyle.

Wooooooooow. So I don’t know if you’ll be able to include this part, but Floetic Fridays was the youth driven open mic I started in 2003 at Freestyle Youth Center (RIP) The event ran from 2003 til 2021 and had the mission of creating space for youth to embrace creative expression while offering HIV/STI screenings, safer sex materials, and comprehensive sexual health education. Imagine 15-30 teens in a room listening to their peers share unfiltered poetry and raps about their experiences. It was a beautiful and challenging sight. As an adult, I saw myself grow from “peer leader” to “student chaperone,” [no] longer did I directly relate to the young people, so there was space for a different type of learning; I could share my experience, and they’d hip me to how things could be different. It was a space for developing minds from all sides.

A program of Metro TeenAIDS that grew out of my time as a New School Activist, Floetic Fridays held a special place in my heart. It was one of the things that defined my career; in many ways it still does. The combination of creative expression, social awareness, and compassion has driven every step of my life. Metro TeenAIDS entered a strategic partnership with Whitman-Walker Health in 2015. I departed the organization in 2021, but I’m in conversation with staff to help bring the Floetic Friday energy back in some capacity.

4. Is your son involved in your ventures? Does he also crochet?

So I’d love for Darius to be involved in my ventures, but he’s got his own life with friend groups and social schedules. Darius looms and was making hats for a while, but now he plays guitar (acoustic, electric, and bass) and his school marching band tours in competitions. He’s also an avid gamer and plans to get into game design. His mom and I support his passions, he’s a kid with a good heart. That’s most important in my book.

5. You’ve amassed many accomplishments, how does that feel and do you believe you’ve made a positive impact? 

Thank you for the compliment. I think my biggest accomplishment is still being here. Still managing to stay in my hometown as it changes rapidly around me, managing to buy a home in close proximity to my mom, being able to show up for my son (though not as often as I need to), being present – that’s what’s really important to me. 

I’m grateful for recognition but I’ve been leaning into what I feel is really important: legacy. Awards are cool, but as Drew Anderson said in a poem in 2001, “That title you won, everyone will forget about it in a week. That money you earned in the slam, you’ll spend it all in about a week”. But the fact that you asked about Floetic Fridays though I haven’t personally hosted it in seven or eight years, that’s impact. What will be here when we are gone? What stories will be shared? What has been documented? Who will think of you and smile? That’s what I really care about. That’s where a lot of my poetry is going.

I think my impact sits on the corner of activism and artistry. There are people across the country that know they have HIV treatment options because of some random workshop I was involved in. There are folks that feel safer sharing their narrative because I got up and did a poem about grief and mourning. There are men in DC jail right now that know there is room for redemption because I helped lead writing workshops with them and listened to their stories. The stories matter. Our truth matters. It’s all we have in the end. I feel like I’ve had a solid impact, and I’m still making connections.

6. Do you plan on releasing more books? If so, can you share the subject matter? Who is your favorite author?

Funny you ask, November 1, my newest collection “Breaking the Blank” released via Day Eight Publishing. It’s a collaboration between myself and Rebecca Bishophall, one of my favorite authors. Rebecca and I first met in 1999 in our high school poetry club; we would go on to become great friends and eventually have our first featured poetry performance together at Spit Dat DC. Twenty years later, we released “Breaking the Blank”, a conversation-in-verse between friends. Subjects span parenting, identity, and the social climate during the age of social media. While writing this book I “came out” as non-binary so that shows up in the book too. If folks who would like to know more about our process, you can read our interview or purchase a copy here.

I’m also working on the next manuscript which will have a very limited printing and will only be available in person. I have two new plays that debut in 2023, “Dear Mr. Duncan,” a musical about Todd Duncan had a limited run in early February, [and] “Push The Button”, a young audiences show about superheroes and cancel culture, debuts March 25 at Keegan Theatre. I lead a monthly crochet/activist circle at the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum, and my poetry podcast “Poets Reading Poetry” is in its second season [and tapes] first Tuesdays monthly at Solid State Books. I’m a busy little bee but that’s who I am, taking time and using it as much as I can.

My favorite authors — many I happen to personally know. Alexa Patrick is such a wonderful writer. So is Angelique Palmer, Dionne ‘Luna’ Tenhue, Rasheed Copeland, Regie Cabico, Susan Scheid, Drew Anderson, and Meilani Clay. I could keep listing. People I don’t personally know: Bjork, Gil Scott-Heron, Andre 3000, and Nikki Giovanni are major inspirations for me. Creativity, honesty, and activism.

To keep up with Dwayne Lawson-Brown and all their ventures, check out their official website.