Massachusetts Statewide Poetry Calendar 2

Brookline-Quezalguaque Sister City Project is very proud to present “An Evening With Richard Blanco” during which he will read his poetry and share his reflections. The evening will conclude with a book-signing. All proceeds from this event will be used for our Sister City in Nicaragua to fund projects in the areas of health, education, and more. Most currently, and thanks to generous grants from the Rotary in Brookline and Rotary International, we are engaged in an enormous and life-changing clean water initiative. This October will mark Brookline’s 33rd year anniversary of this Sister City relationship with Quezalguaque.

Tickets can be bought in advance for $25 at brooklinesistercity.org or by sending a check to BQSCP, PO Box 114, Brookline, MA 02446. There will be a list of attendees who have paid in advance at the door. Tickets at the door are $30. Sponsors donating $100 or more are invited to a private reception with Richard Blanco from 6 to 6:45 p.m.

Doors will open at 6:15 and on-street parking is available, but plan to arrive early as the event begins promptly at 7.

The cover charge is $4, cash or credit. No tickets are sold in advance. The poetry show is 21+, with a photo ID and Vaccination Card required to enter the venue. No outside drink is allowed— please patronize the bar— but you may bring food and eat it in the venue. Regrettably, the basement of the Cantab is not wheelchair-accessible; please email us to learn more about the space and to discuss accessibility options.
Doors open at approximately 7:15 for an 8:00 poetry-only open mic. The venue has a capacity of 75 persons with seating for approximately 60; if you want to sit down for the first part of the show, you will need to arrive before 8:00 PM. Large parties are strongly advised to arrive in a timely manner, as the show frequently sells out.
There is a short break after the open mic at approximately 9:45, during which some seats usually free up for incoming crowd. (If the feature is popular, do not expect seats to become available.) After the break, the featured poet or event begins. Standard features last for 30 minutes and featured slams last about 60 minutes, after which our featured poets vend their product and chat with fans. As of 2023, the full show is usually over by 11:00.