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Iowa poet stays 'centered' after 'wildest dreams' come true

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Monday, February 17, 2025   

By Brianne Sanchez for Arts Midwest.
Broadcast version by Mark Moran for Iowa News Service reporting for the Arts Midwest-Public News Service Collaboration


At the close of his whirlwind 2024, Caleb “The Negro Artist” Rainey paused to reflect. The Iowa City-based poet likened a year filled with career-validating recognition to ‘someone turning a spotlight on’ to illuminate his creative and community work. 

“It’s like that moment in a play where everyone else freezes, and you get to step forward,” Rainey says. No single project catapulted his career. “A whole lot of people hit the lights at the same time for me. You prepare for something for so long, and then when it happens, it’s exciting and overwhelming.”

Over the past 12 months, many of Rainey’s wildest dreams have come true. He shared the stage with his hero, headliner Rudy Francisco, at the Mic Check Poetry Fest. (Grant funding from Arts Midwest helped support that event, which Rainey co-produces.) He launched ‘Looking Back at Black Iowans,’ a pioneering workshop series that engaged hundreds of high school students by bridging poetry and the state’s diverse cultural heritage. He created a new format for open-mic programming and expanded emerging artist mentorship. A documentary film about Rainey’s ascent as a spoken word poet and teacher premiered at Iowa’s Pearson Lakes Art Center and in Los Angeles. 

In November, Rainey received an Iowa Author Award for poetry from the Des Moines Public Library Foundation.

“I’m always telling young people, if you have a poem that you’re ready with, then that opportunity will show up,” says Rainey, who facilitates IC Speaks workshops in Iowa City high schools. “Always stay ready so you don’t have to get ready.”

That attitude led to performance opportunities at events like the Okoboji Writers’ and Songwriters’ Retreat, which amplified his exposure and expanded his network. His infectious enthusiasm also caught the attention of collaborator Lisa Roberts, nonprofit founder of Iowa City Poetry. She witnessed Rainey remain undaunted by early-career rejections.

“I’ve learned a lot from [Caleb’s] ideas that, if you don’t see what you need, then make it happen,” Roberts says. “Don’t fret too long about not being invited into the club. Make your own club. That’s what he’s done. Then, he’s invited everyone else in.” 

Committing to His Creative Practice 

Now, Rainey is asking himself what comes after attaining so many of his dreams. He recognizes he still has so much to learn as a poet, performer, and youth facilitator. 

At the beginning of 2024, Rainey chose to focus on the word ‘discipline’ and explore how he could be more attentive to his creative practice. 2025 will be about staying “centered.”

Conducting his monthly ‘poetry potluck’ prompt on Instagram with fellow Iowa poet Kelsey Bigelow is one way Rainey ensures he remains consistently engaged with his craft and in touch with a community that inspires him. On the first Monday of every month, followers submit words he incorporates into a completed poem that he shares the first Friday.

“The biggest thing that I had to learn when it came to the discipline of my writing process is to be dedicated to answering the phone when inspiration calls,” Rainey says. 


Brianne Sanchez wrote this story for Arts Midwest.


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