Poetry-N-Motion, LLC
Poetry-N-Motion, LLC
About Poetry-N-Motion, LLC
About Poetry-N-Motion, LLC
Poetry-N-Motion, LLC is a multidisciplinary arts organization dedicated to transforming communities through the power of poetry, education, and cultural programming. Founded by award-winning spoken word artist and educator LeJuane "El'Ja" Bowens, the organization creates innovative experiences that connect artists, audiences, and communities while fostering creativity, dialogue, and personal growth.
Headquartered in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Poetry-N-Motion, LLC produces nationally recognized events and initiatives, including the Southeastern Regional NC Poetry Slam, one of the premier poetry competitions in the Southeast, and Dilla Day Fayetteville, NC, an annual celebration honoring the life, music, and cultural legacy of legendary producer J Dilla through poetry, music, education, and community engagement. The organization also coaches the nationally competitive Detour Slam Team, providing mentorship and performance opportunities for poets at every stage of their artistic journey.
Beyond live performances, Poetry-N-Motion partners with schools, libraries, nonprofits, military organizations, municipalities, and arts institutions to deliver workshops, artist residencies, keynote presentations, and community-centered programming. Through these collaborations, the organization uses spoken word as a vehicle for literacy, leadership development, civic engagement, and cultural preservation.
Driven by the belief that art has the power to educate, heal, and unite, Poetry-N-Motion, LLC continues to build spaces where diverse voices are celebrated and meaningful conversations can flourish. Whether presenting on a national stage or within local communities, the organization remains committed to inspiring audiences, cultivating the next generation of artists, and demonstrating that poetry is more than performance—it is a catalyst for connection, transformation, and lasting impact.
About The Founder/CEO:
About The Founder/CEO:
​LeJuane “El’Ja” Bowens is an award-winning spoken word poet, author, speaker, host, arts educator, cultural organizer, and community advocate whose work lives at the intersection of storytelling, culture, creativity, and community empowerment. Born in Detroit, Michigan and raised in Lima, Ohio, El’Ja served six years in the United States Army, including two deployments to Iraq. His military experience became a catalyst for his writing and ultimately helped him discover poetry as a vehicle for healing, advocacy, connection, and social change.
For more than two decades, El’Ja has built a career using the arts to create spaces where people can see themselves, tell their stories, and recognize the power of their own voices. He is the founder and CEO of Poetry-N-Motion, LLC and the founder/director of the Southeastern Regional NC Poetry Slam and Festival in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He is also the founder of Detour Slam Team and creator of the Nerd Slam, a unique fusion of spoken word, hip-hop, popular culture, comics, anime, and fandom that has been presented at poetry festivals and conventions across the country.
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His competitive poetry career includes becoming the 2009 McDonald’s Food for Thought Poetry Slam Champion, the 2010 ECU Survival of the Illest Poetry Slam Champion, and, in 2014, the first North Carolina poet to win Grand Slam Finals in three different cities—Fayetteville, Charlotte, and Durham. That same year, he helped lead the Bull City Slam Team to victory at the 22nd Southern Fried Poetry Slam. He was nominated for Spoken Word Artist of the Year at the 2015 National Poetry Awards and received the 2016 Rising Star Male Poet Award for North Carolina and the overall GANSPA Award.
El’Ja’s work has taken him to stages and institutions throughout the United States, including The Kennedy Center, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Poetry Foundation, Wounded Warrior Project, The Loft Literary Center, the National Folk Festival, Big Ears Festival, Arts in the Heart of Augusta Festival, Book ’Em NC, the North Carolina Reading Conference, and TEDxFaurot Park. He has also been featured through All Def Poetry, Poetry Slam, Inc., NPR, PBS, and Amazon, including his appearance in the PBS documentary Talking Black in America: Performance Traditions. He has served as a Poetry Out Loud judge and continues to work as a teaching artist, workshop facilitator, and mentor.
His literary work includes Anywhere But Here, Before: A Collection of Poems, 3:10: A Collection of Poems, and El’J Dilla: Poems Inspired by the Music of J Dilla. His work has also connected him to the legacy of Detroit-born producer J Dilla, including his collaboration with the James Dewitt Yancey Foundation and his leadership of Dilla Day: Fayetteville, an event celebrating J Dilla’s music, influence, creativity, and cultural legacy.
Beyond the stage, El’Ja has increasingly become a leader in the broader arts ecosystem. He serves as a Trustee of Southern Fried Poetry, Inc., is an Associate Editor with Longleaf Press, and serves as Vice Chair of the Cool Spring Downtown District Executive Committee. (Southern Fried Poetry, Inc.) He has also served as Director of Programming for Fayetteville Fan Fest, helping develop programming that brings together comics, cosplay, film, gaming, hip-hop, poetry, and other elements of contemporary fandom culture.
In 2026, El’Ja was named the inaugural Poet Laureate of 7 Directions of Service, expanding his role as a literary artist into a position centered on service, community engagement, veteran advocacy, and the transformative power of the arts. His work with organizations such as Mission Belonging and the Cohen Veterans Network further reflects his commitment to using creative writing and artistic expression as tools for connection, healing, and community building.
Whether he is standing behind a microphone, teaching a classroom, judging a poetry competition, building a festival, mentoring young artists, collaborating with veterans, or creating opportunities for other creatives, El’Ja approaches his work through one guiding philosophy:
Purpose Over Popularity.
His mission is not simply to perform poetry, but to use creativity to build community, preserve culture, amplify voices, and remind people that their stories have value.
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