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Welcome to the schedule of poetry events happening in Massachusetts! This schedule contains events happening all over the state, as entered by our Poetry Partners and others. It is not limited to Mass Poetry events. To submit an event, click here. For more questions regarding our calendar, you can email marketing@masspoetry.org
or to bookmark your favorites and sync them to your phone or calendar.
strong>Boston/Cambridge [clear filter]
Monday, December 14
 

7:30pm EST

Solidarity Salon: poems & stories with music & dance!
Monday December 14, 2020 7:30pm - 9:30pm EST
The Solidarity Salon gathers together local poets, writers, and other artists to share their creations in community spaces. The series aims to especially amplify the voices of women, people of color, immigrants, and LGBTQ persons. Our event on December 14 will feature seven local writers, joined by musicians In Paik and Ju Hee Kang, plus dancer Liliana Jimenez. Donations collected at this event will go to On the Rise (https://www.ontherise.org/) in support of their Voices Together writing program. For more event info: https://thepoetpianist.com/home-2/music/
Monday December 14, 2020 7:30pm - 9:30pm EST
The Lilypad
 
Tuesday, December 15
 

2:00pm EST

Brookline Poetry Series: Alan Shapiro and Dorian Kotsiopoulos
Tuesday December 15, 2020 2:00pm - 4:00pm EST
December 15, 2019
Featured Reader: Alan Shapiro
Alan Shapiro has published many poetry collections (including Reel to Reel, finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, and Night of the Republic, finalist for both the National Book Award and the International Griffin Prize), four books of prose, including The Last Happy Occasion, finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. Winner of the Kingsley Tufts Award, LA Times Book Prize, an award in literature from The American Academy of Arts and Letters, and The William Carlos Williams Award from the Poetry Society of America, he is also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Recent books include Life Pig (poems), That Self-Forgetful Perfectly Useless Concentration (essays), and his latest, Against Translation (poems), all from University of Chicago press. Shapiro is the William R. Kenan, Jr., Distinguished Professor of English at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Opening Reader: Dorian Kotsiopoulos
Dorian Kotsiopoulos has been featured at various poetry venues in Massachusetts. Her work has appeared in literary and medical journals, including Poet LoreSalamanderNew England Journal of MedicineJAMAWomen’s Review of BooksThird Wednesday, and Smartish Pace. Dorian loves studying poetry at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, MA.

Tuesday December 15, 2020 2:00pm - 4:00pm EST
Hunneman Hall, Brookline Village Library
 
Thursday, December 17
 

7:00pm EST

Nina McLaughlin Reading
Thursday December 17, 2020 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST
Tue, December 17, 7pm – 9pm
Where: 6 Plympton St, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA (map)
Description: Join us for a reading Nina MacLaughlinn reading from Wake Siren

Thursday December 17, 2020 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST
Grolier Poetry Bookshop
 
Saturday, December 19
 

7:00pm EST

Translating Korean: Jake Levine and Sekyo Nam Haines in conversation with Janaka Stucky
Saturday December 19, 2020 7:00pm - 8:00pm EST
Hysteria

The Transnational Series welcomes two Korean translators to discuss their work and their most recent translations with Janaka Stucky, the founding editor of Black Ocean.
About the translators:
Jake Levine is an American translator, poet, and scholar. He received his BA and MFA from the University of Arizona and is currently Abd in a PhD program in Comparative Literature at Seoul National University. He works as an assistant professor of creative writing at Keimyung University and as a lecturer at the Literature Translation Institute of Korea. He is the assistant editor at Acta Koreana, the editor for the Korean poetry series Moon Country at Black Ocean, and a group member of the experimental hip-hop / verse collective Poetic Justice.
Sekyo Nam Haines, born and raised in South Korea, immigrated to U.S. in 1973 as a registered nurse. She studied American literature and writing at the Goddard College ADP and poetry with the late Ottone M. Riccio in Boston, MA. Her poems have appeared in the anthologies Do Not Give Me Things Unbroken, Unlocking The Poem, and Beyond Words; and in the poetry journal Off the Coast. Her translations of Korean poetry has appeared in Harvard Review and The Seventh Quarry Poetry. She lives in Cambridge, MA with her family.
Readers/Speakers
Saturday December 19, 2020 7:00pm - 8:00pm EST
Brookline Booksmith

7:00pm EST

A Window on the World through the Eyes of the Zimbabwean Poet Togara Muzanenhamo
Saturday December 19, 2020 7:00pm - 8:30pm EST
A Window on the World through the Eyes of the Zimbabwean Poet Togara Muzanenhamo


Togara Muzanenhamo reads from his three collections of poetry. Muzanenhamo was born in Lusaka, Zambia and raised on a farm in Zimbabwe. He has studied in the Netherlands, France and the United Kingdom. His poems have been widely published in numerous international journals and broadcast on radio and television. His first collection, Spirit Brides (2006), was shortlisted for the Jerwood Alderburg First Collection Prize, his second collection, Gumiguru (2014), was shortlisted for the Glenna Luschei Prize for African Poetry and his third book, Textures ( 2014 -in collaboration with John Eppel) won the National Arts and Merit Awards for Literature. Muzanenhamo lives with his partner and children in Zimbabwe.
This event is co-sponsored by the New England Poetry Club.
Readers/Speakers
Saturday December 19, 2020 7:00pm - 8:30pm EST
Cambridge Public Library
 
Thursday, November 18
 

7:00pm EST

Evening of Inspired Leaders
Thursday November 18, 2021 7:00pm - 8:00pm EST

We are proud to announce Mass Poetry’s seventh annual Evening of Inspired Leaders, which brings together exceptional leaders from diverse fields to each read their favorite poem and reflect on its connection to their life and work. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are now planning a hybrid event, which will take place on Thursday, November 18, 2021, from 7-8 PM online and live at GrubStreet’s new Center for Creative Writing in Boston’s Seaport.

At Evening of Inspired Leaders we come together for inspiration, for poetry that speaks to our hearts, to our spirits, and to this moment, in all its complexity.

Funds raised at Evening of Inspired Leaders will help Mass Poetry produce its dynamic roster of free and low-cost poetry programs for thousands of people, young and old, across Massachusetts.
Thursday November 18, 2021 7:00pm - 8:00pm EST
GrubStreet's Center for Creative Writing
 
Saturday, August 5
 

10:00am EDT

Roxbury Poetry Festival
Saturday August 5, 2023 10:00am - 9:00pm EDT
TBA

The Roxbury Poetry Festival is a biennial event centering poetry in Roxbury, MA. The inaugural festival is happening virtually with the exception of two evening events. The festival features several award-winning writers, panelists, and curators, and centers a keynote address from poet, essayist, and cultural critic, Hanif Abdurraqib. The day-long event culminates with a Publisher’s Poetry Slam sponsored by Button Poetry that yields a book contract for a local writer. The festival is free and open to the public, and the lunchtime craft talk comes with free lunch

Saturday August 5, 2023 10:00am - 9:00pm EDT
TBA
 
Friday, September 1
 

7:00pm EDT

SOWA First Friday Poetry Open Mic
Friday September 1, 2023 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
On the First Friday of every month, the artists, galleries, shops and showrooms of the SoWa Art + Design District in the South End open their doors to the public for an evening of art, culture and inspiration. Come out for the poetry open mic from 7-8pm, or stay for the whole evening from 5-9pm. 

Sowa First Fridays are family friendly and free. Plenty of parking is available. Registration not required.
Friday September 1, 2023 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
SOWA
 
Saturday, September 9
 

2:00pm EDT

Outspoken Saturdays @ GBH Studios
Saturday September 9, 2023 2:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
The GBH BPL studio will host Outspoken Saturdays, a curated spoken word poetry event for emerging artists. Every first Saturday of the month, the series will be in collaboration with spoken word artist Amanda Shea.

We will provide complimentary food from the NewsFeed Café. Please avoid using explicit or suggestive language during the performance.

Register to be a speaker here.


Saturday September 9, 2023 2:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
Boston Public Library
 
Wednesday, September 20
 

8:00pm EDT

Boston Poetry Slam
Wednesday September 20, 2023 8:00pm - 11:00pm EDT
The Boston Poetry Slam holds a weekly show every Wednesday downstairs at the Cantab Lounge. This is the flagship show of the Boston Poetry Slam and the entire night is devoted to the craft, performance, and enjoyment of poetry.

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.
Wednesday September 20, 2023 8:00pm - 11:00pm EDT
Cantab Lounge 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
 
Wednesday, September 27
 

8:00pm EDT

Boston Poetry Slam
Wednesday September 27, 2023 8:00pm - 11:00pm EDT
The Boston Poetry Slam holds a weekly show every Wednesday downstairs at the Cantab Lounge. This is the flagship show of the Boston Poetry Slam and the entire night is devoted to the craft, performance, and enjoyment of poetry.

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.
Wednesday September 27, 2023 8:00pm - 11:00pm EDT
Cantab Lounge 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
 
Wednesday, October 4
 

8:00pm EDT

Boston Poetry Slam
Wednesday October 4, 2023 8:00pm - 11:00pm EDT
The Boston Poetry Slam holds a weekly show every Wednesday downstairs at the Cantab Lounge. This is the flagship show of the Boston Poetry Slam and the entire night is devoted to the craft, performance, and enjoyment of poetry.

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.
Wednesday October 4, 2023 8:00pm - 11:00pm EDT
Cantab Lounge 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
 
Wednesday, October 11
 

8:00pm EDT

Boston Poetry Slam
Wednesday October 11, 2023 8:00pm - 11:00pm EDT
The Boston Poetry Slam holds a weekly show every Wednesday downstairs at the Cantab Lounge. This is the flagship show of the Boston Poetry Slam and the entire night is devoted to the craft, performance, and enjoyment of poetry.

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.
Wednesday October 11, 2023 8:00pm - 11:00pm EDT
Cantab Lounge 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
 
Saturday, October 14
 

10:00am EDT

Boston Book Festival
Saturday October 14, 2023 10:00am - 10:00pm EDT
Boston Book Festival returns to Copley Square on October 14th, celebrating 15 years. This year's poetry headliners are Diannely Antigua and Oliver de la Paz
Check back closer to the date for a full schedule.

Saturday October 14, 2023 10:00am - 10:00pm EDT
Copley Square Copley Square, Boston, MA 02116
 
Wednesday, October 18
 

8:00pm EDT

Boston Poetry Slam
Wednesday October 18, 2023 8:00pm - 11:00pm EDT
The Boston Poetry Slam holds a weekly show every Wednesday downstairs at the Cantab Lounge. This is the flagship show of the Boston Poetry Slam and the entire night is devoted to the craft, performance, and enjoyment of poetry.

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.
Wednesday October 18, 2023 8:00pm - 11:00pm EDT
Cantab Lounge 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
 
Wednesday, October 25
 

8:00pm EDT

Boston Poetry Slam
Wednesday October 25, 2023 8:00pm - 11:00pm EDT
The Boston Poetry Slam holds a weekly show every Wednesday downstairs at the Cantab Lounge. This is the flagship show of the Boston Poetry Slam and the entire night is devoted to the craft, performance, and enjoyment of poetry.

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.
Wednesday October 25, 2023 8:00pm - 11:00pm EDT
Cantab Lounge 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
 
Sunday, October 29
 

7:00pm EDT

Poetry Open Mic Night at Trident
Sunday October 29, 2023 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Join us for a fun evening of open mic poetry! We invite you to bring your own works and perform them in front of a supportive crowd. There's no better place to find your voice and share it with the world!
The sign-up list opens at 6:30 pm in the upstairs cafe and the mic opens at 7:00pm.
  • Seating is first come, first served! 
  • Each open mic slot gets you about three minutes of stage time.
  • No need to memorize your work - just be comfortable and have fun!
  • If you read someone else’s work, give credit where due. 
  • Above all, show kindness to all. No hate speech, slurs, or sexually explicit language. 
Sunday October 29, 2023 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Trident Booksellers & Cafe

7:00pm EDT

Lizard Lounge Poetry Slam
Sunday October 29, 2023 7:00pm - 11:59pm EDT
The doors open at 7:00 pm every Sunday, and we start with our “Poetry Slam.” The “Featured Poet” will start roughly at 8:30 pm, accompanied by the Blake Newman Group. After the Featured Poet, we have our “Open Mic,” also accompanied by the Blake Newman Group. There’s a $10 cover charge, and the Lizard Lounge is a 21+ venue.
Sunday October 29, 2023 7:00pm - 11:59pm EDT
The Lizard Lounge
 
Wednesday, November 1
 

7:00pm EDT

Poets for Palestine
Wednesday November 1, 2023 7:00pm - 9:30pm EDT
Join us for a night of community, food, and poetry at the @bostonliberationcenter.

We’ll be raising funds for the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund and busses from Boston to DC for the National March on Washington Nov 4 for a free Palestine!
Wednesday November 1, 2023 7:00pm - 9:30pm EDT
Boston Liberation Center

8:00pm EDT

Boston Poetry Slam
Wednesday November 1, 2023 8:00pm - 11:00pm EDT
The Boston Poetry Slam holds a weekly show every Wednesday downstairs at the Cantab Lounge. This is the flagship show of the Boston Poetry Slam and the entire night is devoted to the craft, performance, and enjoyment of poetry.

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.
Wednesday November 1, 2023 8:00pm - 11:00pm EDT
Cantab Lounge 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
 
Sunday, November 5
 

7:00pm EST

Poetry Open Mic Night at Trident
Sunday November 5, 2023 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST
Join us for a fun evening of open mic poetry! We invite you to bring your own works and perform them in front of a supportive crowd. There's no better place to find your voice and share it with the world!
The sign-up list opens at 6:30 pm in the upstairs cafe and the mic opens at 7:00pm.
  • Seating is first come, first served! 
  • Each open mic slot gets you about three minutes of stage time.
  • No need to memorize your work - just be comfortable and have fun!
  • If you read someone else’s work, give credit where due. 
  • Above all, show kindness to all. No hate speech, slurs, or sexually explicit language. 
Sunday November 5, 2023 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST
Trident Booksellers & Cafe

7:00pm EST

Lizard Lounge Poetry Slam
Sunday November 5, 2023 7:00pm - 11:59pm EST
The doors open at 7:00 pm every Sunday, and we start with our “Poetry Slam.” The “Featured Poet” will start roughly at 8:30 pm, accompanied by the Blake Newman Group. After the Featured Poet, we have our “Open Mic,” also accompanied by the Blake Newman Group. There’s a $10 cover charge, and the Lizard Lounge is a 21+ venue.
Sunday November 5, 2023 7:00pm - 11:59pm EST
The Lizard Lounge
 
Monday, November 6
 

6:00pm EST

Mass Poetry Community Open House + U35 Reading!
Monday November 6, 2023 6:00pm - 8:00pm EST

Mass Poetry will be hosting a combined Community Open House and U35 spoken word event on Monday, November 6th at 50 Liberty Drive. Please join us for a night of fun and community engagement where you'll be able to learn more about how to get involved at Mass Poetry as well as view our beautiful space at the Center for Creative Writing. We will also be hosting our U35 featuring members of the Mass Poetry community!

Mass Poetry is a non profit poetry organization utilizing the power of words to engage and empower diverse communities across our commonwealth. Our Open House will highlight core pillars of our organization. This includes upcoming programming such as our readings and school residencies, as well as ways to support our organization through our Evening of Inspired Leaders fundraiser event. We will discuss volunteer opportunities for individuals who want to grow deeper communal ties with our organization and have plenty of information about SW@MP, our Teen Spoken Word Program.

As the evening progresses, we will transition into our performance portion of the event: our U35 spoken word performance.




Monday November 6, 2023 6:00pm - 8:00pm EST
GrubStreet
 
Wednesday, November 8
 

8:00pm EST

Boston Poetry Slam
Wednesday November 8, 2023 8:00pm - 11:00pm EST
The Boston Poetry Slam holds a weekly show every Wednesday downstairs at the Cantab Lounge. This is the flagship show of the Boston Poetry Slam and the entire night is devoted to the craft, performance, and enjoyment of poetry.

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.
Wednesday November 8, 2023 8:00pm - 11:00pm EST
Cantab Lounge 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
 
Monday, November 13
 

6:30pm EST

MassArt Reading
Nick Flynn and Nathan McClain present their poems and discuss new work. This event will be a part of the launch of Nick Flynn's newest book Low. Event is open and free to the public.  

Nick Flynn is the author of five collections of poetry (all published by Graywolf), including I Will Destroy You (2019) and Low (2023). His bestselling memoir Another Bullshit Night in Suck City (Norton, 2004), was made into a film starring Robert DeNiro (Focus Features, 2012), and has been translated into fifteen languages. Other recent books include: This Is the Night Our House Will Catch Fire (Norton, 2020); and Stay: Threads, Collaborations, and Conversations (Ze Books, 2020), which documents twenty-five years of his collaborations with artists, filmmakers, and composers. He is a professor in the Creative Writing Program at the University of Houston, where he is in residence each Spring. www.nickflynn.org.

Nathan McClain (he/him) is the author of two collections of poetry: Previously Owned (Four Way Books, 2022), longlisted for the Massachusetts Book Award, and Scale (Four Way Books, 2017). He is a recipient of fellowships from The Frost Place, the Sewanee Writers’ Conference, and Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference and is a Cave Canem fellow. He earned an MFA from Warren Wilson College. His poems and prose have appeared in Plume Poetry 10, The Common, Guesthouse, Poetry Northwest, and Zуcalo Public Square, among others. He teaches at Hampshire College and serves as poetry editor of the Massachusetts Review.



 
Wednesday, November 15
 

6:00pm EST

Launch of Volume 15.2 and Celebration of 15 Years of Consequence
Wednesday November 15, 2023 6:00pm - 8:00pm EST
On Wednesday 11/15, 6pm, at Civic Pavilion, Boston City Hall Plaza, the Boston Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture joins with Consequence Forum to proudly present the Launch of Consequence, Vol 15.2 and the celebration of 15 years of Consequence.

The program includes
- an introduction by Tom Valleley, the event’s Honorary Chairman
- readings from Volume 15.2 of Consequence, the literary arts journal addressing the human consequences and realities of war and geopolitical violence
- Dr. Kate Hollander and Dr. Larry Rosenwald in conversation on the topic of War Poetry.
Wednesday November 15, 2023 6:00pm - 8:00pm EST
Boston City Hall Square, Civic Pavilion

8:00pm EST

Boston Poetry Slam
Wednesday November 15, 2023 8:00pm - 11:00pm EST
The Boston Poetry Slam holds a weekly show every Wednesday downstairs at the Cantab Lounge. This is the flagship show of the Boston Poetry Slam and the entire night is devoted to the craft, performance, and enjoyment of poetry.

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.
Wednesday November 15, 2023 8:00pm - 11:00pm EST
Cantab Lounge 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
 
Thursday, November 16
 

7:00pm EST

Rozzie Reads Poetry and Open Mic
Thursday November 16, 2023 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST
Monthly reading with two featured poets and open microphone.
Thursday November 16, 2023 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST
Roslindale House
 
Saturday, November 18
 

6:00pm EST

Reservoir: Poetry Reading and Closing Party
Saturday November 18, 2023 6:00pm - 8:00pm EST

To close out our exhibit "Reservoir: What the Water Knows," join us for a celebration of water as a repository of form, sound, and inspiration for creativity with readings by celebrated poets Sarah Audsley, Jen Funk, Cynthia Huntington, Lisa Harries Schumann, and Ros Zimmermann.
The doors will open at 6 pm to give the attendees a chance to see the exhibit. The reading will begin at 6:30 pm.
The event is free and open to all. A suggested donation of $10 is gratefully accepted.
There is limited parking at the museum, and it will be available on a first come, first serve basis. Please visit waterworksmuseum.org or call 617. 277.0065 for event information.

Cynthia Huntington is a poet, memoirist and a professor of English and Creative Writing at Dartmouth College. In 2004 she was named Poet Laureate of New Hampshire. She is the author of several collections of poetry, including Fire Muse: Poems from the Salt House (2016); Heavenly Bodies (2012), which was nominated for a National Book Award; Levis Prize-winner The Radiant (2003); We Have Gone to the Beach (1996), which won the Beatrice Hawley Award and the Jane Kenyon Award; and The Fish-Wife (1985); as well as the nonfiction prose volume The Salt House (1998).
Sarah Audsley, a Korean American adoptee, is the author of Landlock X (Texas Review Press, 2023), a graduate of the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College, and a member of The Starlings Collective. Audsley lives and works in northern Vermont.
Jennifer Funk is a native Californian trying to prove her mettle in New England. A graduate of Bennington College and of Warren Wilson’s MFA Program for Writers, she has been a scholarship recipient of the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference and The Frost Place. Her poems have appeared in Kenyon Review, Four Way Review, Cimarron Review, The Boiler, and elsewhere.
Poet Ros Zimmermann plays with language as a body that is a reservoir of continual change and reallocation, with the idea that all bodies of matter are in motion. Lisa Harries Schumann is a translator from the German and a writer of prose exploring the historical past, myth-making, and the obscured root-tendrils between the two that spring up in our present. In their collaborative piece, Ros and Lisa use the Chestnut Hill Reservoir as inspiration, circling an imagined water from which roads splay, pipes drain, and thoughts emerge.
Saturday November 18, 2023 6:00pm - 8:00pm EST
Metropolitan Waterworks Museum
 
Sunday, November 19
 

7:00pm EST

Poetry Open Mic Night at Trident
Sunday November 19, 2023 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST
Join us for a fun evening of open mic poetry! We invite you to bring your own works and perform them in front of a supportive crowd. There's no better place to find your voice and share it with the world! 
The sign-up list opens at 6:30 pm in the upstairs cafe and the mic opens at 7:00pm.
  • Seating is first come, first served! 
  • Each open mic slot gets you about three minutes of stage time.
  • No need to memorize your work - just be comfortable and have fun!
  • If you read someone else’s work, give credit where due. 
  • Above all, show kindness to all. No hate speech, slurs, or sexually explicit language. 
Got a question? Shoot us an e-mail!
Sunday November 19, 2023 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST
Trident Booksellers & Cafe

7:00pm EST

Lizard Lounge Poetry Slam
Sunday November 19, 2023 7:00pm - 11:59pm EST
The Lizard Lounge Poetry Jam and Slam is an award-winning weekly feature at The Lizard Lounge located at 1667 Massachusetts Ave. in Cambridge, MA. The Jam and Slam happen every Sunday at 7:00 pm and is hosted by Blake Newman with weekly guest co-hosts. There’s a $10 cover charge; patrons must be 21 or older to enter.
Sunday November 19, 2023 7:00pm - 11:59pm EST
The Lizard Lounge
 
Wednesday, November 22
 

8:00pm EST

Boston Poetry Slam
Wednesday November 22, 2023 8:00pm - 11:00pm EST
The Boston Poetry Slam holds a weekly show every Wednesday downstairs at the Cantab Lounge. This is the flagship show of the Boston Poetry Slam and the entire night is devoted to the craft, performance, and enjoyment of poetry.

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.
Wednesday November 22, 2023 8:00pm - 11:00pm EST
Cantab Lounge 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
 
Sunday, November 26
 

7:00pm EST

Poetry Open Mic Night at Trident
Sunday November 26, 2023 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST
Join us for a fun evening of open mic poetry! We invite you to bring your own works and perform them in front of a supportive crowd. There's no better place to find your voice and share it with the world! 
The sign-up list opens at 6:30 pm in the upstairs cafe and the mic opens at 7:00pm.
  • Seating is first come, first served! 
  • Each open mic slot gets you about three minutes of stage time.
  • No need to memorize your work - just be comfortable and have fun!
  • If you read someone else’s work, give credit where due. 
  • Above all, show kindness to all. No hate speech, slurs, or sexually explicit language. 
Got a question? Shoot us an e-mail!
Sunday November 26, 2023 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST
Trident Booksellers & Cafe

7:00pm EST

Lizard Lounge Poetry Slam
Sunday November 26, 2023 7:00pm - 11:59pm EST
The Lizard Lounge Poetry Jam and Slam is an award-winning weekly feature at The Lizard Lounge located at 1667 Massachusetts Ave. in Cambridge, MA. The Jam and Slam happen every Sunday at 7:00 pm and is hosted by Blake Newman with weekly guest co-hosts. There’s a $10 cover charge; patrons must be 21 or older to enter.
Sunday November 26, 2023 7:00pm - 11:59pm EST
The Lizard Lounge
 
Wednesday, November 29
 

8:00pm EST

Boston Poetry Slam
Wednesday November 29, 2023 8:00pm - 11:00pm EST
The Boston Poetry Slam holds a weekly show every Wednesday downstairs at the Cantab Lounge. This is the flagship show of the Boston Poetry Slam and the entire night is devoted to the craft, performance, and enjoyment of poetry.

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.
Wednesday November 29, 2023 8:00pm - 11:00pm EST
Cantab Lounge 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
 
Thursday, November 30
 

7:00pm EST

An Evening of Poetry: Rachel DeWoskin, Robert Pinsky, & Kirun Kapur
Thursday November 30, 2023 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST
In person at Brookline Booksmith! Join us for an evening of poetry with Rachel DeWoskin, Robert Pinsky, & Kirun Kapur.
Thursday November 30, 2023 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST
Brookline Booksmith
 
Saturday, December 2
 

1:00pm EST

Recycled Poems: Found Poetry
Saturday December 2, 2023 1:00pm - 2:30pm EST
Give new life to old texts by writing found poetry, which is poetry composed by cutting up and/or manipulating preexisting texts and turning them into new poems.
We'll look at examples of found poems for inspiration, and then we'll have time to craft our own poems using would-be-discarded materials. We will provide some materials, but feel free to bring anything you have that you might want to use: newspapers, magazines, books, appliance instructions, product packaging, anything with words on it will work!
This workshop is open to writers of any experience level!
Saturday December 2, 2023 1:00pm - 2:30pm EST
Boston Nature Center and Wildlife Sanctuary
 
Sunday, December 3
 

7:00pm EST

Poetry Open Mic Night at Trident
Sunday December 3, 2023 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST
Join us for a fun evening of open mic poetry! We invite you to bring your own works and perform them in front of a supportive crowd. There's no better place to find your voice and share it with the world! 
The sign-up list opens at 6:30 pm in the upstairs cafe and the mic opens at 7:00pm.
  • Seating is first come, first served! 
  • Each open mic slot gets you about three minutes of stage time.
  • No need to memorize your work - just be comfortable and have fun!
  • If you read someone else’s work, give credit where due. 
  • Above all, show kindness to all. No hate speech, slurs, or sexually explicit language. 
Got a question? Shoot us an e-mail!
Sunday December 3, 2023 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST
Trident Booksellers & Cafe

7:00pm EST

Lizard Lounge Poetry Slam
Sunday December 3, 2023 7:00pm - 11:59pm EST
The doors open at 7:00 pm every Sunday, and we start with our “Poetry Slam.” The “Featured Poet” will start roughly at 8:30 pm, accompanied by the Blake Newman Group. After the Featured Poet, we have our “Open Mic,” also accompanied by the Blake Newman Group. There’s a $10 cover charge, and the Lizard Lounge is a 21+ venue.
Sunday December 3, 2023 7:00pm - 11:59pm EST
The Lizard Lounge
 
Monday, December 4
 

6:00pm EST

Nature & Poetry in the City: A Generative Writing Workshop
Monday December 4, 2023 6:00pm - 7:00pm EST
Join writer and teacher naturalist, salvation burnette, for an in-person poetry workshop and nature walk.
Ever noticed a host of house sparrows swarming a pizza crust on the sidewalk? A rat slurping from a discarded Dunkin cup floating on an oily puddle? A plush cloud pierced by a skyscraper? What do these images say about our urban environment? How does seeing these things affect us? How can we, people who live in the city, use what we see to create art, to create awareness and change, to care for ourselves and our communities?

This is an opportunity for us to spend time noticing the visible ways humans impact and interact with the natural environment, and then we’ll use our observations to create poetry. We will read and talk about poetry that explores nature and/in/against the city. Then, depending on the weather, we’ll go outside and observe our surroundings together or stay indoors and explore some natural materials and artifacts together. Participants can then choose a writing prompt and write/wander on their own. Finally, we’ll reconvene to talk about our experiences, and participants are welcome to share anything they write. No experience needed to write poetry—everyone is welcome!

Registration recommended, but not required. Contact Alea to register.
Monday December 4, 2023 6:00pm - 7:00pm EST
Codman Square Branch of the Boston Public Library

6:00pm EST

Faces of Phillis
Monday December 4, 2023 6:00pm - 7:30pm EST

The Associates of the Boston Public Library is proud to present Faces of Phillis, a free staged reading and panel discussion, as the fifth installment of the annual Pierce Performance Series. The one and only performance will take place on December 4th, from 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM in the Boston Public Library's Rabb Hall.Faces of Phillis will celebrate Phillis Wheatley Peters on the 250th anniversary of the publication of Phillis's groundbreaking book Poems of Various Subjects, Religious and Moral.

A recording of the event will be available for only one week on Vimeo (December 6th - December 13th). To receive the link to the virtual performance, please sign up here: https://forms.gle/74DWsj3TQvFAbx3t5

For more information about our collaborators, please see our Pierce Performance website: https://www.associatesbpl.org/events-and-programs/pierce/
Monday December 4, 2023 6:00pm - 7:30pm EST
Boston Public Library
 
Wednesday, December 6
 

8:00pm EST

Boston Poetry Slam
Wednesday December 6, 2023 8:00pm - 11:00pm EST
The Boston Poetry Slam holds a weekly show every Wednesday downstairs at the Cantab Lounge. This is the flagship show of the Boston Poetry Slam and the entire night is devoted to the craft, performance, and enjoyment of poetry.

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.
Wednesday December 6, 2023 8:00pm - 11:00pm EST
Cantab Lounge 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
 
Friday, December 8
 

7:00pm EST

Liberation Open Mic: Feat Adobo Fish Sauce
Friday December 8, 2023 7:00pm - 10:00pm EST
Join the Boston Liberation Center's one year anniversary of hosting their open mic!

A Puerto Rican and a Cambodian walk into a kitchen. The kitchen is your heart. The food is made with food. The food is sometimes poems. Either way you are fed. Adobo-Fish-Sauce (Anthony Febo and Ricky Orng) is an active choice to celebrate in the face of bitterness. It is responding to “Go back to where you come from!” by bringing where they are from right to you. The duo fuses spoken word, cooking, intentionality, vulnerability, and joy to create a one of a kind experience that can’t be found in any kitchen or open mic.

All Ages — children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
Friday December 8, 2023 7:00pm - 10:00pm EST
Boston Liberation Center
 
Saturday, December 9
 

1:00pm EST

Nature-Inspired Micropoems and Button-Making
Saturday December 9, 2023 1:00pm - 2:30pm EST
Just because a poem is small doesn't mean it can't be all the things a longer poem can be: surprising, moving, teaching, beautiful, funny, joyful, strange-the list could go on forever! We’ll go on a trail walk to observe and connect with nature and then we’ll write some micropoems. Participants will have the option of incorporating art into their work and making their mini-poems into wearable pinback buttons.This event will be partially outdoors, so please dress according to the weather. Experienced and beginner poets/artists welcome!
Saturday December 9, 2023 1:00pm - 2:30pm EST
Boston Nature Center and Wildlife Sanctuary
 
Sunday, December 10
 

7:00pm EST

Poetry Open Mic Night at Trident
Sunday December 10, 2023 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST
Join us for a fun evening of open mic poetry! We invite you to bring your own works and perform them in front of a supportive crowd. There's no better place to find your voice and share it with the world!
The sign-up list opens at 6:30 pm in the upstairs cafe and the mic opens at 7:00pm.
  • Seating is first come, first served! 
  • Each open mic slot gets you about three minutes of stage time.
  • No need to memorize your work - just be comfortable and have fun!
  • If you read someone else’s work, give credit where due. 
  • Above all, show kindness to all. No hate speech, slurs, or sexually explicit language. 
Got a question? Shoot us an e-mail!
Sunday December 10, 2023 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST
Trident Booksellers & Cafe

7:00pm EST

Lizard Lounge Poetry Slam
Sunday December 10, 2023 7:00pm - 11:59pm EST
The doors open at 7:00 pm every Sunday, and we start with our “Poetry Slam.” The “Featured Poet” will start roughly at 8:30 pm, accompanied by the Blake Newman Group. After the Featured Poet, we have our “Open Mic,” also accompanied by the Blake Newman Group. There’s a $10 cover charge, and the Lizard Lounge is a 21+ venue.
Sunday December 10, 2023 7:00pm - 11:59pm EST
The Lizard Lounge
 
Wednesday, December 13
 

8:00pm EST

Boston Poetry Slam
Wednesday December 13, 2023 8:00pm - 11:00pm EST
The Boston Poetry Slam holds a weekly show every Wednesday downstairs at the Cantab Lounge. This is the flagship show of the Boston Poetry Slam and the entire night is devoted to the craft, performance, and enjoyment of poetry.

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.
Wednesday December 13, 2023 8:00pm - 11:00pm EST
Cantab Lounge 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
 
Thursday, December 14
 

7:00pm EST

CANON, CANYON, CANNON: WELL DRESSED
Thursday December 14, 2023 7:00pm - 8:30pm EST
Join us for an evening of poetry and performance curated by Porsha Olayiwola, Boston Poet Laureate, Gardner Museum Artist-In-Residence, and Neighborhood Salon Luminary, and featuring leading artists Danez Smith, Chrysanthemum, Jarvis Subia, and Imani Davis.
These poets invite us to consider questions of influence and find new meaning through language and performance. This canon’s theme, "Well Dressed: Public Self/Private Self," is inspired by the Museum’s fall exhibitions Fabiola Jean Louis: Rewriting History, Inventing Isabella and Carla Fernández’s newly commissioned work for the Anne H. Fitzpatrick Façade.
Poets will read poems exploring the public persona and the poetic confessional tradition. Come dressed to express your inner self, creativity, and wildest dreams.
Thursday December 14, 2023 7:00pm - 8:30pm EST
Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum
 
Sunday, December 17
 

7:00pm EST

Poetry Open Mic Night at Trident
Sunday December 17, 2023 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST
Join us for a fun evening of open mic poetry! We invite you to bring your own works and perform them in front of a supportive crowd. There's no better place to find your voice and share it with the world! 
The sign-up list opens at 6:30 pm in the upstairs cafe and the mic opens at 7:00pm.
  • Seating is first come, first served! 
  • Each open mic slot gets you about three minutes of stage time.
  • No need to memorize your work - just be comfortable and have fun!
  • If you read someone else’s work, give credit where due. 
  • Above all, show kindness to all. No hate speech, slurs, or sexually explicit language. 
Got a question? Shoot us an e-mail!
Sunday December 17, 2023 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST
Trident Booksellers & Cafe

7:00pm EST

Lizard Lounge Poetry Slam
Sunday December 17, 2023 7:00pm - 11:59pm EST
The doors open at 7:00 pm every Sunday, and we start with our “Poetry Slam.” The “Featured Poet” will start roughly at 8:30 pm, accompanied by the Blake Newman Group. After the Featured Poet, we have our “Open Mic,” also accompanied by the Blake Newman Group. There’s a $10 cover charge, and the Lizard Lounge is a 21+ venue.
Sunday December 17, 2023 7:00pm - 11:59pm EST
The Lizard Lounge
 
Monday, December 18
 

6:00pm EST

Generative Writing Workshop: Wintry Nature Poems
Monday December 18, 2023 6:00pm - 7:30pm EST
Join writer and teacher naturalist, salvation burnette, for an in-person poetry workshop and nature walk.
Winter is a great time of year for connecting with nature! It’s quieter; the bare tree branches offer a clearer view of birds in their winter plumage; fallen leaves protect a hidden universe of overwintering bees and other small creatures; the tracks in the snow tell the stories of all the animals around us. And we’re animals too—this is often a time of year when we also slow down, try to stay warm, spend time reflecting on our lives, look forward to the sun and rejuvenation of spring.
Let’s explore our connections to nature in the winter! This is an opportunity to spend time learning about Massachusetts nature in winter, and then we’ll use our observations and thoughts about nature to create poetry. We will read and talk about poetry that explores nature in the winter. Then, depending on the weather, we’ll go outside to observe our surroundings together or stay indoors and explore some natural materials and artifacts together. Participants can then choose a writing prompt and write/wander on their own. Finally, we’ll reconvene to talk about our experiences, and participants are welcome to share anything they write. No experience needed to write poetry—everyone is welcome!
Registration is recommended, but not required. Contact Alea to register.
Monday December 18, 2023 6:00pm - 7:30pm EST
Codman Square Branch of the Boston Public Library
 
Wednesday, December 20
 

8:00pm EST

Boston Poetry Slam
Wednesday December 20, 2023 8:00pm - 11:00pm EST
The Boston Poetry Slam holds a weekly show every Wednesday downstairs at the Cantab Lounge. This is the flagship show of the Boston Poetry Slam and the entire night is devoted to the craft, performance, and enjoyment of poetry.

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.
Wednesday December 20, 2023 8:00pm - 11:00pm EST
Cantab Lounge 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
 
Sunday, December 31
 

7:00pm EST

Poetry Open Mic Night at Trident
Sunday December 31, 2023 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST
Join us for a fun evening of open mic poetry! We invite you to bring your own works and perform them in front of a supportive crowd. There's no better place to find your voice and share it with the world! 
The sign-up list opens at 6:30 pm in the upstairs cafe and the mic opens at 7:00pm.
  • Seating is first come, first served! 
  • Each open mic slot gets you about three minutes of stage time.
  • No need to memorize your work - just be comfortable and have fun!
  • If you read someone else’s work, give credit where due. 
  • Above all, show kindness to all. No hate speech, slurs, or sexually explicit language. 
Got a question? Shoot us an e-mail!

Sunday December 31, 2023 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST
Trident Booksellers & Cafe
 
Wednesday, January 3
 

7:00pm EST

Unearthed Song & Poetry Open Mic: Oliver de la Paz
Wednesday January 3, 2024 7:00pm - 9:30pm EST
  • January 3, Time 7:00PM - 9:30PM. home.stead bakery & cafeUnearthed Song & Poetry Open Mic  



Wednesday January 3, 2024 7:00pm - 9:30pm EST
Home.stead Bakery and Cafe
 
Thursday, January 4
 

6:00pm EST

Lesley January Reading Series Presents: Carl Phillips
Thursday January 4, 2024 6:00pm - 8:00pm EST
Poetry reading by Carl Phillips at the Marran Theatre at Lesley University, located at 34 Mellen Street, in Cambridge, MA.

Thursday January 4, 2024 6:00pm - 8:00pm EST
Marran Theater 34 Mellen St, Cambridge, MA 02138
 
Saturday, January 6
 

6:00pm EST

Lesley January Reading Series Presents: Sharon Bryan and Rachel Kadish
Saturday January 6, 2024 6:00pm - 8:00pm EST
Poetry reading by Sharon Bryan, and fiction reading by Rachel Kadish, at Lesley University's Marran Theater, located at 34 Mellen Street, in Cambridge, MA.
Saturday January 6, 2024 6:00pm - 8:00pm EST
Marran Theater 34 Mellen St, Cambridge, MA 02138
 
Wednesday, January 10
 

7:00pm EST

Brookline Booksmith: Five Brookline Poets Reading
Wednesday January 10, 2024 7:00pm - 8:30pm EST
Five Brookline Poets share their work with the community that inspired them. »Zvi Sesling is the Poet Laureate of Brookline, MA and a prize winning poet. He has been published widely in print and online nationally and internationally. Sesling is Editor of Muddy River Poetry Review, publishes Muddy River Books and reviews for the Boston Small Press and Poetry Scene.
Jan Schreiber is an American poet, translator, and literary critic who has been part of the renascence of formal poetry that began in the late twentieth century. He is the author of four books of verse, two books of verse translation and one book of literary criticism.
Judith Steinbergh was selected as first Poet Laureate for the town of Brookline, MA for a 3 year term ending on April 1, 2015. She is the author of 4 poetry books and 3 poetry teaching texts. She also teaches and mentors students and teachers for Troubadour, Inc.
Deborah Leipziger is an author, poet, and professor. Her chapbook, Flower Map, was published by Finishing Line Press (2013). In 2014, her poem “Written on Skin” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Born in Brazil, Ms. Leipziger is the author of several books on human rights and sustainability. Her poems have been published in SalamanderVoices IsraelPOESYWilderness House ReviewIbbetson Street, and the Muddy River Poetry Review.
Tino Villanueva is the author of seven books of poetry and has taught creative writing at the University of Texas-Austin, the College of William & Mary, and Bowdoin College. His artwork has appeared on the covers and pages of national and international journals such as NexosGreen Mountains ReviewTriQuarterlyParnassus, and MELUS. He teaches in the Department of Romance Studies at Boston University.




Wednesday January 10, 2024 7:00pm - 8:30pm EST
Brookline Booksmith

8:00pm EST

Boston Poetry Slam
Wednesday January 10, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EST
The Boston Poetry Slam holds a weekly show every Wednesday downstairs at the Cantab Lounge. This is the flagship show of the Boston Poetry Slam and the entire night is devoted to the craft, performance, and enjoyment of poetry.
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.
Wednesday January 10, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EST
Cantab Lounge 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
 
Friday, January 12
 

7:30pm EST

Liberation Open Mic
Friday January 12, 2024 7:30pm - 10:00pm EST
Liberation Center's Open Mic Night featuring SEB!

All ages (children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult), suggested $5 - 15 donation. Limited space — arrive on time to make sure you get in and get a seat.
Friday January 12, 2024 7:30pm - 10:00pm EST
Boston Liberation Center
 
Sunday, January 14
 

7:00pm EST

Poetry Open Mic Night at Trident
Sunday January 14, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST
Join us for a fun evening of open mic poetry! We invite you to bring your own works and perform them in front of a supportive crowd. There's no better place to find your voice and share it with the world! 
The sign-up list opens at 6:30 pm in the upstairs cafe and the mic opens at 7:00pm.
  • Seating is first come, first served! 
  • Each open mic slot gets you about three minutes of stage time.
  • No need to memorize your work - just be comfortable and have fun!
  • If you read someone else’s work, give credit where due. 
  • Above all, show kindness to all. No hate speech, slurs, or sexually explicit language. 
Got a question? Shoot us an e-mail!
Sunday January 14, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST
Trident Booksellers & Cafe

7:00pm EST

Lizard Lounge Poetry Slam
Sunday January 14, 2024 7:00pm - 11:59pm EST
The doors open at 7:00 pm every Sunday, and we start with our “Poetry Slam.” The “Featured Poet” will start roughly at 8:30 pm, accompanied by the Blake Newman Group. After the Featured Poet, we have our “Open Mic,” also accompanied by the Blake Newman Group. There’s a $10 cover charge, and the Lizard Lounge is a 21+ venue.
Sunday January 14, 2024 7:00pm - 11:59pm EST
The Lizard Lounge
 
Tuesday, January 16
 

7:00pm EST

Transnational Series: E.J. Koh in conversation with Jennifer Tseng
Tuesday January 16, 2024 7:00pm - 8:30pm EST
The Magical Language of Others is a powerful and aching love story in letters, from mother to daughter. After living in America for over a decade, Eun Ji Koh’s parents return to South Korea for work, leaving fifteen-year-old Eun Ji and her brother behind in California. Overnight, Eun Ji finds herself abandoned and adrift in a world made strange by her mother’s absence. Her mother writes letters, in Korean, over the years seeking forgiveness and love–letters Eun Ji cannot fully understand until she finds them years later hidden in a box.
The Magical Language of Others weaves a profound tale of hard-won selfhood and our deep bonds to family, place, and language, introducing–in Eun Ji Koh–a singular, incandescent voice.
E. J. Koh is the author of the poetry collection A Lesser Love, winner of the Pleiades Editors Prize (Louisiana State U. Press, 2017). Her poems, translations, and stories have appeared in Boston ReviewLos Angeles Review of Books, and World Literature Today, among others. She is the recipient of The MacDowell Colony and Kundiman fellowships and a 2017 ALTA Emerging Translator Mentorship, and was runner-up for the 2018 Prairie Schooner Summer Nonfiction Prize.
Jennifer Tseng’s flash fiction collection, The Passion of Woo & Isolde (Rose Metal Press 2017), was a Firecracker Award finalist and winner of an Eric Hoffer Book Award; and her novel, Mayumi and the Sea of Happiness (Europa Editions 2015), was shortlisted for the PEN American Center’s Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction and the New England Book Award. She’s also published three award-winning books of poetry, The Man With My Face (AAWW 2005); the bilingual Red Flower, White Flower (Marick Press 2013) featuring Chinese translations by Mengying Han and Aaron Crippen; and Not so dear Jenny (Bateau Press 2017), poems made with her Chinese father’s English letters. Jennifer and her sister, visual artist Amanda Tseng, collaborate on Instagram @tseng.sisters, using the hashtag #sistersreadingsisters. Together, her sister’s images and her micro reviews celebrate books by women of color, queer women and women in translation—past, present, and future.

Readers/Speakers
Tuesday January 16, 2024 7:00pm - 8:30pm EST
Brookline Booksmith
 
Wednesday, January 17
 

6:30pm EST

The Visible Planets by Aly Pierce Release Show
Wednesday January 17, 2024 6:30pm - 9:30pm EST
The Visible Planets by Aly Pierce is dropping on 1/17! Come hang out with us

We'll have sets from Aly Pierce, Lip Manegio, Cassandra de Alba, and more!

Michael Malpiedi and Kaleigh O'Keefe are co-hosting!

Makeshift Boston is an amazing community space and we're excited to show you our newest book release!

Space is limited so please register. Admission is free! Come on time and hang out with the whole GOB crew.

The space is wheelchair accessible! This show is alcohol free.

Any questions? Message Game Over Books on Facebook or Instagram.
Readers/Speakers Hosts
Wednesday January 17, 2024 6:30pm - 9:30pm EST
Make Shift Boston

8:00pm EST

Boston Poetry Slam
Wednesday January 17, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EST
The Boston Poetry Slam holds a weekly show every Wednesday downstairs at the Cantab Lounge. This is the flagship show of the Boston Poetry Slam and the entire night is devoted to the craft, performance, and enjoyment of poetry.
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.
Wednesday January 17, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EST
Cantab Lounge 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
 
Friday, January 19
 

3:00pm EST

Brookline Poetry Series: Rodney Jones
Friday January 19, 2024 3:00pm - 5:00pm EST
January 19, 2020
Featured Reader: Rodney Jones
Rodney Jones is the author of eleven books of poems. His honors include the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Harper Lee Award, and the Kingsley Tufts Award, and he has been a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Award, the Griffin International Poetry Prize, and the Pulitzer Prize. His poems have appeared widely in magazines and in nine editions of Best American PoetryVillage Prodigies, his latest book, doubles as a book of poems and an experimental novel. He lives in New Orleans and teaches in the low-residency MFA program at Warren Wilson College.
Opening Reader: Mitch Manning
Mitch Manning is the author of city of water (Arrowsmith, 2019). He’s taught poetry in central China and his poems have been read in Basra, southern Iraq as part of the Boston to Basra Project. He teaches in the English and Labor Studies programs at UMass Boston, and is Associate Director at the Joiner Institute for the Study of War and Social Consequences. He’s an Associate Editor for CONSEQUENCE magazine and founder of NO INFINITE, a journal of petry, art, and protest. Poems and interviews published in The DorisBOOG CityLet The Bucket DownCONSEQUENCESundialHollowGAFF and more.

Readers/Speakers
Friday January 19, 2024 3:00pm - 5:00pm EST
Hunneman Hall, Brookline Village Library
 
Sunday, January 21
 

7:00pm EST

Poetry Open Mic Night at Trident
Sunday January 21, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST
Join us for a fun evening of open mic poetry! We invite you to bring your own works and perform them in front of a supportive crowd. There's no better place to find your voice and share it with the world! 
The sign-up list opens at 6:30 pm in the upstairs cafe and the mic opens at 7:00pm.
  • Seating is first come, first served! 
  • Each open mic slot gets you about three minutes of stage time.
  • No need to memorize your work - just be comfortable and have fun!
  • If you read someone else’s work, give credit where due. 
  • Above all, show kindness to all. No hate speech, slurs, or sexually explicit language. 
Got a question? Shoot us an e-mail!
Sunday January 21, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST
Trident Booksellers & Cafe

7:00pm EST

Lizard Lounge Poetry Slam
Sunday January 21, 2024 7:00pm - 11:59pm EST
The doors open at 7:00 pm every Sunday, and we start with our “Poetry Slam.” The “Featured Poet” will start roughly at 8:30 pm, accompanied by the Blake Newman Group. After the Featured Poet, we have our “Open Mic,” also accompanied by the Blake Newman Group. There’s a $10 cover charge, and the Lizard Lounge is a 21+ venue.
Sunday January 21, 2024 7:00pm - 11:59pm EST
The Lizard Lounge
 
Monday, January 22
 

8:00pm EST

Devin Kelly Features at the Boston Poetry Slam
Monday January 22, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EST
Devin Kelly will be the featured poet at the Boston Poetry Slam on Wednesday, January 22, 2020. 

Devin Kelly is the author of In This Quiet Church of Night, I Say Amen (Civil Coping Mechanisms) and the co-host of the Dead Rabbits Reading Series. He is the winner of a Best of the Net Prize, and his writing has appeared or is forthcoming in The Guardian, LitHub, Catapult, DIAGRAM, Redivider, and more. He lives and teaches high school in New York City.

An open poetry slam is scheduled for the late-night portion of this show, following the feature. The slam will be speed slam format: eight open sign-ups will be available starting at door time, and poets will slam head-to-head in up to three rounds with time limits of 3, 2, and 1 minute. Winner and runner-up qualify for the 2020 Team Selection series. To volunteer to judge in exchange for free admission to the show, or to ask questions about the slam, email the slam curator at slamseries@bostonpoetryslam.com.

SCHEDULE
7:15pm: doors and sign-ups open
8:00pm: open mic
10:00pm: Devin Kelly features
11:00ish: open poetry slam
More info about the show: http://bostonpoetryslam.com/?p=9666

The show is 18+, $3 and the bar is cash only. Everyone must show a photo ID to enter the Cantab Lounge.

Readers/Speakers Hosts
Monday January 22, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EST
Cantab Lounge 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
 
Tuesday, January 23
 

7:00pm EST

Rozzie Reads Poetry and Open Mic
Tuesday January 23, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST
Tuesday January 23, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST
Roslindale House

8:00pm EST

Countertop Chants: January Poetry Session
Tuesday January 23, 2024 8:00pm - 10:00pm EST
Countertop Chants is proud to host Poetry Sessions that celebrate our craft, art of all mediums, community, and local businesses. 
Join us the 4th Thursday every month for a lively open mic at Canopy Room, one of the newest spots for local artists and entrepreneurs in the Boston area! This month’s session will be held Thursday, January 23rd,, from 8 to 10 pm. 

SCHED:
Space opens at 8 pm, reading starts at 8:15pm! Our intermission music starts promptly at 9 pm. We have 10 spots for poetry reading, with music from this month's guest, Sophie London. Each reader will have 5 minutes at the mic, sign ups will be open until we fill the spots. 

ABOUT THE READING: 
This is a place to share your work, meet new artist friends, explore the Boston area, and have fun. Boston has a strong community of artists and writers and they deserve an inclusive space to connect and enjoy their art while still making it a party. We are here to celebrate life, arts, and our community. 

This is not a competition! There will be no winners, and there is no expected format. Tell us your dreams through acrostic poems, give us just a taste of your despair with a haiku. Whatever form you take, we celebrate it. 

We do book our intermission act in advance. If you are interested in playing acoustic music, doing an interpretative dance, or something that compliments the poetic medium, drop us a line at countertopchants@gmail.com 


ABOUT THE SPACE: 
We are hosting our poetry sessions in the event space of Bow Market, Canopy Room. We are teaming up with local businesses to foster our local artists. There is no cover to get in, but there is a cash/credit card bar! So please enjoy libations during the reading and have a little fun with us. 

Bow Market is home to many retail shops, restaurants, brewery and more. Grab food from one of these shops and bring it with you to the reading, or get here early and explore some of the shops before you join us!

Tuesday January 23, 2024 8:00pm - 10:00pm EST
Canopy Room
 
Wednesday, January 24
 

8:00pm EST

Boston Poetry Slam
Wednesday January 24, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EST
The Boston Poetry Slam holds a weekly show every Wednesday downstairs at the Cantab Lounge. This is the flagship show of the Boston Poetry Slam and the entire night is devoted to the craft, performance, and enjoyment of poetry.
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.
Wednesday January 24, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EST
Cantab Lounge 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
 
Thursday, January 25
 

TBA

IAWA in Boston Presents
Thursday January 25, 2024 TBA
Readers/Speakers
Thursday January 25, 2024 TBA
I Am Books

6:30pm EST

Boston Voices: An Evening of Poetry and Connection
Thursday January 25, 2024 6:30pm - 8:30pm EST

Join Courtney Jacobovits and the Napkin Poetry Review for an evening of poetry, refreshments, and connection.
Communities are built by the time we take to come together, and poetry, as a tool for reflection and expression, can help us do just that.
Featured performers include Amanda SheaSarah ShapiroElizabeth UlanovaAlondra BobadillaChristianne Goodwin, and Napkin co-founder Caroline King.
Throughout the event and with ticket purchase, donations will be accepted for the Cambridge Women's Center, an organization that advocates self-determination, gender equality and social justice. Suggested donations begin at $10.

There will also be drinks and snacks to enjoy.
Thursday January 25, 2024 6:30pm - 8:30pm EST
Abigail Ogilvy Gallery
 
Sunday, January 28
 

7:00pm EST

Poetry Open Mic Night at Trident
Sunday January 28, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST
Join us for a fun evening of open mic poetry! We invite you to bring your own works and perform them in front of a supportive crowd. There's no better place to find your voice and share it with the world! 
The sign-up list opens at 6:30 pm in the upstairs cafe and the mic opens at 7:00pm.
  • Seating is first come, first served! 
  • Each open mic slot gets you about three minutes of stage time.
  • No need to memorize your work - just be comfortable and have fun!
  • If you read someone else’s work, give credit where due. 
  • Above all, show kindness to all. No hate speech, slurs, or sexually explicit language. 
Got a question? Shoot us an e-mail!
Sunday January 28, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST
Trident Booksellers & Cafe

7:00pm EST

Lizard Lounge Poetry Slam
Sunday January 28, 2024 7:00pm - 11:59pm EST
The doors open at 7:00 pm every Sunday, and we start with our “Poetry Slam.” The “Featured Poet” will start roughly at 8:30 pm, accompanied by the Blake Newman Group. After the Featured Poet, we have our “Open Mic,” also accompanied by the Blake Newman Group. There’s a $10 cover charge, and the Lizard Lounge is a 21+ venue.
Sunday January 28, 2024 7:00pm - 11:59pm EST
The Lizard Lounge
 
Monday, January 29
 

TBA

8:00pm EST

Porsha Olayiwola Features at the Boston Poetry Slam
Monday January 29, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EST
Porsha Olayiwola will be the featured poet at the Boston Poetry Slam on Wednesday, January 29, 2020. 

Porsha Olayiwola is from the future! Black, poet, queer-dyke, hip-hop feminist, womanist: Porsha is a native of Chicago who now resides in Boston. Olayiwola is a writer, performer, educator and curator who uses afro-futurism and surrealism to examine historical and current issues in the Black, woman, and queer diasporas. She is an Individual World Poetry Slam Champion and the artistic director at MassLEAP, a literary youth organization. Olayiwola is an MFA Candidate at Emerson College. Porsha Olayiwola is the author of i shimmer sometimes, too forthcoming with Button Poetry and is the current Poet Laureate for the city of Boston.

There will be NO poetry slam competition after the feature tonight; please come celebrate our feature and her new book. 

SCHEDULE
7:15pm: doors and sign-ups open
8:00pm: open mic
10:00pm: Porsha Olayiwola features
More info about the show: http://bostonpoetryslam.com/?p=9694

The show is 18+, $3 and the bar is cash only. Everyone must show a photo ID to enter the Cantab Lounge.
Monday January 29, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EST
Cantab Lounge 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
 
Tuesday, January 30
 

TBA

Deep Curation: an experimentally curated poetry reading
Tuesday January 30, 2024 TBA
Lee Ann Brown, Sawako Nakayasu, Klara Du Plessis
with audio of Fanny Howe's poetry
in the Front Theater Space
Tuesday January 30, 2024 TBA
Boston Playwrights' Theatre 949 Commonwealth Avenue
 
Wednesday, January 31
 

8:00pm EST

Boston Poetry Slam
Wednesday January 31, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EST
The Boston Poetry Slam holds a weekly show every Wednesday downstairs at the Cantab Lounge. This is the flagship show of the Boston Poetry Slam and the entire night is devoted to the craft, performance, and enjoyment of poetry.
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.
Wednesday January 31, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EST
Cantab Lounge 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
 
Friday, February 2
 

2:00pm EST

Temple Sinai’s 11th Annual Poetry Festival
Friday February 2, 2024 2:00pm - 4:00pm EST
This year’s featured poet is Rachel Kann -- a poet, performer, ceremonialist and teaching artist. Her writing has appeared in journals such as Soul-Lit, Tiferet, Eclipse, Permafrost, Coe Review, Sou’wester, GW Review and Quiddity. She is a resident writer for Hevria, where she’s also featured as a performing artist on The Hevria Sessions.  Rachel has performed her poetry in such varied venues as Disney Concert Hall, Royce Hall, the Broad Stage and San Francisco Palace of Fine Arts. She is a 2019 Inquiry Fellow through American Jewish University’s Institute for Jewish Creativity and was a 2017 Asylum Arts Reciprocity Fellow and the 2017 Outstanding Instructor of the Year at UCLA Extension Writers' Program. Her latest poetry collection is How to Bless the New Moon, from Ben Yehuda Press. Her poetry collections include A Prayer on Behalf of the Broken Heart and 10 for Everything. She is also the author of the children’s book, You Sparkle Inside.

Master of Ceremonies: Professor Larry Lowenthal

An open mic will follow!
Readers bring one original poem on themes of family, community, or Jewish life. Sign up to read as you enter.  Questions?  Contact Deborah Leipziger at dleipziger@gmail.com
Readers/Speakers

Friday February 2, 2024 2:00pm - 4:00pm EST
Temple Sinai

7:00pm EST

Moonlighting Featuring Keely Fae & Justice Ameer
Where: The Democracy Center (45 Mt. Auburn St. Cambridge-- there is a wheelchair accessible entrance on the right hand side of the building if you are facing the front entrance)
 When: January 5th, 2019   
  Doors Open at 7:00pm Open Mic Starts at 7:30pm
 Cost: $5 suggested cover. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. 
 
 What is Moonlighting? 
 
Moonlighting is a queer open mic presented by the Boston Poetry Slam. This reading series is a revival of a Cambridge favorite hosted and produced by Myles Taylor and Ilyus Evander. We aim to build, stew in, and celebrate the queer community and their words and work in Cambridge and the surrounding areas.
Readers/Speakers
 
Sunday, February 4
 

10:30am EST

Generative Writing Workshop: Bird Poems
Sunday February 4, 2024 10:30am - 12:00pm EST
Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird. Except there are infinite ways of looking, and infinite birds to look at!
In this generative writing workshop, you'll have the opportunity to observe various species of birds and generate ideas for and drafts of your own poetry. We'll read examples of poetry that uses bird imagery and/or bird behavior to explore human emotions and issues. We'll then go for a trail walk, noticing the birds that surround us: what they look like, what they're doing, how we can see ourselves in them, how our presence affects them. Participants will have the opportunity to spend time exploring on their own and responding to themed writing prompts. Then we’ll reconvene to share our experiences: what we wrote, observed or thought about.
Sunday February 4, 2024 10:30am - 12:00pm EST
Boston Nature Center and Wildlife Sanctuary

7:00pm EST

Black History Month Open Mic & Karaoke Night!
Sunday February 4, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST
Happy new year FEMS, and happy Black History Month! Come celebrate with us ♥ bring yourself, a piece of writing by a Black artist who inspires you (can be yourself!), and your fav karaoke songs by Black artists to sing for the second half of the night!

Doors - 7pm
Open Mic / Readings - 7:30
Karaoke - 8:15 

Can't wait to see you there!!

Make Shift accessibility info:

Make Shift has a wheelchair accessible entrance, seating space, and bathroom. We are not a fragrance free or sober space (though we do not sell alcohol). Makeshift is 0.2 miles away from the Massachusetts Ave T stop on the Orange Line. Please feel free to message us with any accessibility questions or feedback.
Sunday February 4, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST
Make Shift Boston
 
Monday, February 5
 

8:00pm EST

Tatiana M.R. Johnson Features at the Boston Poetry Slam
Monday February 5, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EST
Tatiana Mary Rebecca Johnson will be the featured poet at the Boston Poetry Slam on Wednesday, February 5, 2020. 

Tatiana M.R. Johnson (she/her/hers) is a writer, artist and educator in the Boston area. She’s an MFA candidate in poetry at Emerson College and works as poetry editor for the literary journal Redivider. She is a 2017 Pushcart Prize nominee and she’s recently been published in Southern Humanities Review as an Honorable Mention selection for the 2019 Auburn Witness Poetry Prize, judged by Vievee Francis. Tatiana’s writing is forthcoming in Transition Magazine and Aesthetica Magazine. Her writing explores identity and trauma, especially inherited trauma and what it means to heal.

An early-bird workshop is scheduled for the hour before doors open for the show. For more information, please see our separate workshop event, Tatiana M.R. Johnson Workshop at the Boston Poetry Slam.

Photo of the artist is courtesy Manuel Boria. 

SCHEDULE
7:15pm: doors and sign-ups open
8:00pm: open mic
10:00pm: Tatiana M.R. Johnson features
More info about the show: http://bostonpoetryslam.com/?p=9675

The show is 18+, $3 and the bar is cash only. Everyone must show a photo ID to enter the Cantab Lounge. There is one flight of stairs to access the room.
Readers/Speakers Hosts
Monday February 5, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EST
Cantab Lounge 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
 
Tuesday, February 6
 

TBA

Barbara Thomas
Tuesday February 6, 2024 TBA
Tuesday February 6, 2024 TBA
Andala Cafe
 
Wednesday, February 7
 

TBA

Patricia Cleary Miller
Wednesday February 7, 2024 TBA
TBA
Readers/Speakers
Wednesday February 7, 2024 TBA
TBA

TBA

Unearthed Song & Poetry
Wednesday February 7, 2024 TBA
Readers/Speakers
Wednesday February 7, 2024 TBA
Home.stead Bakery and Cafe

7:00pm EST

Bradley Trumpfheller: Reconstructions Book Release
Wednesday February 7, 2024 7:00pm - 8:30pm EST
Local poet (and Booksmith staff member!) Bradley Trumpfheller shares their beautiful collection.
“Bradley Trumpfheller has made for us (the ‘unbecame beloved across’) a simply stunning book that begs to be read aloud. I’m reminded here how tender and intelligent, how generous and fierce one must be to play with language, to let it make and be made from one’s body, to construct and to be re-constructed, to say anything one means and know ‘it will never mean again, not even now.”
-TC Tolbert, author of Gephyromania
Bradley Trumpfheller is from Alabama & Virginia. Their work has appeared in PoetryThe NationjubilatIndiana Review, and elsewhere. They co-edit Divedapper & currently live in Massachusetts.

Readers/Speakers
Wednesday February 7, 2024 7:00pm - 8:30pm EST
Brookline Booksmith

7:00pm EST

First Fridays Youth Open Mic ft. Ariana Brown
Wednesday February 7, 2024 7:00pm - 10:00pm EST
Doors open at 7:00, and dinner is served shortly after (vegetarian and vegan options provided!) Open mic begins at 7:30. Bring your friends! Bring your art! You are welcome! $5-$10 suggested donation for all (no one turned away for lack of funds). All ages and talents are welcome on the mic! Open mic slots 3 minutes each. Sign up upon arrival. Hosted and organized by the First Baptist Church in Jamaica Plain and Kaleigh O'Keefe

FEATURED ARTIST: Ariana Brown

Ariana Brown is a queer Black Mexican American poet from San Antonio, Texas, with a B.A. in African Diaspora Studies and Mexican American Studies. She is the recipient of two Academy of American Poets Prizes and a 2014 collegiate national poetry slam champion. Ariana, who has been dubbed a “part-time curandera,” is primarily interested in using poetry to validate Black girl rage, in all its miraculous forms. Follow her work online at arianabrown.com or on Twitter & Instagram @arianathepoet.

*this venue is wheelchair accessible and has gender neutral restrooms*
Readers/Speakers
Wednesday February 7, 2024 7:00pm - 10:00pm EST
First Baptist Church

7:00pm EST

Unearthed Song & Poetry Open Mic
Wednesday February 7, 2024 7:00pm - 10:00pm EST
Open Mic with poet Tomika Beyer, and Chris and George of Kingsley Flood, and of course, you! Doors and sign up at 7, show starts at 7:30, $5 cover. 

Tamiko Beyer is the author of Last Days (Alice James Books, forthcoming 2021), We Come Elemental (Alice James Books, 2013), and two chapbooks of poems. She publishes a monthly newsletter for living life wide awake and shaping change, Starlight & Strategy. A social justice communications writer and strategist, she spends her days writing truth to power.  Find her at tamikobeyer.com.

Chris Barrett and George Hall are veterans of the Boston music world.
Readers/Speakers
Wednesday February 7, 2024 7:00pm - 10:00pm EST
home.stead café

8:00pm EST

Boston Poetry Slam
Wednesday February 7, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EST
The Boston Poetry Slam holds a weekly show every Wednesday downstairs at the Cantab Lounge. This is the flagship show of the Boston Poetry Slam and the entire night is devoted to the craft, performance, and enjoyment of poetry.
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.
Wednesday February 7, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EST
Cantab Lounge 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
 
Thursday, February 8
 

TBA

 
Friday, February 9
 

3:00pm EST

New Poetry and Open Mic
Friday February 9, 2024 3:00pm - 5:00pm EST
Members read from their new books, followed by an open mic
Readers/Speakers
Friday February 9, 2024 3:00pm - 5:00pm EST
Center for the Arts at the Armory
 
Saturday, February 10
 

6:00pm EST

Winter Warmup with Wine and Poetry
Saturday February 10, 2024 6:00pm - 8:00pm EST
Join us on Saturday, February 10, 6 - 8 pm, for a Winter Warmup with Wine and Poetry, a workshop conducted by award-winning poet and teacher (and MAC Poetry Coordinator) Linda Carney-Goodrich. Four winter poems will be read by four guest readers and complemented by four wines selected by local wine importer Migen Hasanaj of Carpe Vinum of Jamaica Plain, MA. Linda will lead a discussion of the poems and provide writing prompts for participants to try their hand at writing their own poems; and Migen will share tasting notes, the story of each wine, and why they were chosen.

Poem/Wine pairings will be announced soon. A variety of snacks will be provided to complement the wines.

The wine has been generously sponsored by Marti Lopez, REALTOR. More info on Marti at https://martilopezrealestate.com/.

$30 per ticket, maximum of four tickets per order.

More info and registration at https://www.hpaa-mac.org/classes/wine-and-poetry-workshop/.

Saturday February 10, 2024 6:00pm - 8:00pm EST
Menino Arts Center
 
Sunday, February 11
 

TBA

6:00pm EST

NOVELIST STEVEN DUNN & POET LORA STRAUB
Sunday February 11, 2024 6:00pm - 7:15pm EST
Authors Steven Dunn & Lora Straub read from their work and answer questions. Please join us for this literary arts event! This is a debut reading in Boston for Steven Dunn.
Steven Dunn is the author of the novels Potted Meat (Tarpaulin Sky Press, 2016) and water & power (Tarpaulin Sky 2018). He was born and raised in West Virginia, and after 10 years in the Navy, he earned a B.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Denver. Some of his work can be found in Columbia JournalGranta Magazine, and Best Small Fictions 2018.
Lora Straub lives in Lower Allston, MA. She received her BA in Literary Arts from Brown University and was awarded the Judith Lee Stronach Scholarship for Excellence in Poetry by St. Mary’s College of California, where she earned her Poetry MFA. She considers her writing to be hybrid genre and her chapbook, Id Est, was released in October 2017 by SpeCt! Books. Her work can be found in Construction Mag, She Explores, The Fem, The Elephants, Wave Composition, et al.
Readers/Speakers
Sunday February 11, 2024 6:00pm - 7:15pm EST
MassArt, Kennedy, 406

7:00pm EST

Poetry Open Mic Night at Trident
Sunday February 11, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST
Join us for a fun evening of open mic poetry! We invite you to bring your own works and perform them in front of a supportive crowd. There's no better place to find your voice and share it with the world! 
The sign-up list opens at 6:30 pm in the upstairs cafe and the mic opens at 7:00pm.
  • Seating is first come, first served! 
  • Each open mic slot gets you about three minutes of stage time.
  • No need to memorize your work - just be comfortable and have fun!
  • If you read someone else’s work, give credit where due. 
  • Above all, show kindness to all. No hate speech, slurs, or sexually explicit language. 
Got a question? Shoot us an e-mail!
Sunday February 11, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST
Trident Booksellers & Cafe
 
Monday, February 12
 

7:30pm EST

Poetry/Photo slideshow at Mass Audubon's Joppa Flats Education Center
Monday February 12, 2024 7:30pm - 9:00pm EST
Mass Audubon hosts The Arts and the Experience of Nature with poets Janet MacFadyen and David Davis, and photographer Stephen Schmidt. Slate Roof managing editor Janet MacFadyen and photographer Stephen Schmidt present Adrift in the House of Rock: a Praise Song for the Earth, a reading and slideshow set in the beautiful, besieged desert southwest. Their work is followed by a reading by former Poet-In-Residence at Mass Audubon's Joppa Flats, David Davis.

Bring your writing! The evening concludes with an open mic!

1 Plum Island Turnpike, Newburyport, MA

Janet MacFadyen is the author of five books of poetry, most recently Adrift in the House of Rocks (New Feral Press, 2019). Her work is forthcoming in Scientific American and has appeared in CALYX, Crannóg, Poetry, Q/A Poetry, and Terrain. Stephen Schmidt's photographs have won awards from Sierra and Earth magazines, and have appeared at the Merrill Lynch Corporate Gallery and The Arthur Griffin Center for Photographic Art. David Davis is the former Poet-In-Residence at Mass Audubon's Joppa Flats Education Center, and a member of the Powow River Poets. He is author of three poetry books, including The Joy Poems and Joppa Flats (Bard Brook Press, 2017/18).

Monday February 12, 2024 7:30pm - 9:00pm EST
Mass Audubon's Joppa Flats Education Center

8:00pm EST

The Poetry Brothel: Circus of Love
Monday February 12, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EST
An interactive literary cabaret series that fuses poetry, burly-q, live music, aerials, vaudeville, visual art, magic, mysticism, and private, one-on-one poetry experiences.

Welcome to a unique and immersive poetry event that takes poetry outside classrooms and lecture halls and places it in the lush interiors of a bordello. The Madame presents a rotating cast of poets, each operating within a carefully crafted character, who share their work in public readings, spontaneous eruptions of poetry, and most distinctly, as purveyors of private poetry readings on beds, chaise lounges and in private rooms. For a fee, all of the poets are available for these sequestered readings at any time during the event. Of course, any true bordello need a good cover; ours is an immersive cabaret featuring poetry, burly-q, live music, vaudeville, aerials, visual art, magic, and mysticism, with newly integrated themes, performances and installations at each event.

Doors open at 8pm, and the show begins promptly at 8:30. Masks, costumes, and extravagant dress are encouraged but not required. For more information, please visit thepoetrybrothel.com.
Monday February 12, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EST
Sonia
 
Wednesday, February 14
 

TBA

8:00pm EST

Boston Poetry Slam
Wednesday February 14, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EST
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.
Wednesday February 14, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EST
Cantab Lounge 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
 
Thursday, February 15
 

1:00pm EST

The Brockton Library Poetry Series: Everyone Has a Voice
Thursday February 15, 2024 1:00pm - 2:00pm EST
Featured student poet Lola Bennett is a freshman at New Heights Charter School in Brockton. She loves to write because it makes her feel free. "I can write about something I have never done before or something that doesn't exist, when I am writing no rules apply."

Featured poet Nancy Brady Cunningham is a published poet and author of four books of non-fiction. She also co-edited, with Jack Scully, "The Book Of Arrows" by poet Mike Amado. She has won both the Barbara Bradley and the Gretchen Warren awards from the New England Poetry Club. Thirteen of her poems were included in "Unlocking the Poem" by Ottone M. Riccio and Ellen Beth Siegal. Nancy and drummer Mike Morin formed "the Poetry and Percussion Duo" and perform Southeaster Mass. She is a student of yoga, and has taught yoga and meditation classes for decades.

There will be an open mic & light refreshments will be served.
Readers/Speakers Hosts
Thursday February 15, 2024 1:00pm - 2:00pm EST
Driscoll Gallery, Brockton Public Library

4:00pm EST

Raquel Balboni Book Launch
Thursday February 15, 2024 4:00pm - 6:00pm EST
Readers/Speakers
Thursday February 15, 2024 4:00pm - 6:00pm EST
Outpost 186
 
Friday, February 16
 

12:30pm EST

February Seaport Free Writes
Friday February 16, 2024 12:30pm - 1:15pm EST
Looking to add some creativity to your day? Want to meet other local writers and get started on some new writing? Join our Seaport Free Writes session on Wednesday, February 16th, from 12:30-1:15pm. You’ll meet fellow writers and get your creative juices flowing with some fresh writing exercises. Best of all, you’ll leave with some new ideas to ponder for the rest of your day and beyond. Please note that you must register ahead of time and provide proof of vaccination to attend this session.
Friday February 16, 2024 12:30pm - 1:15pm EST
GrubStreet Center for Creative Writing

2:00pm EST

Brookline Poetry Series
Friday February 16, 2024 2:00pm - 4:00pm EST
Readers/Speakers
Friday February 16, 2024 2:00pm - 4:00pm EST
Hunneman Hall, Brookline Village Library
 
Saturday, February 17
 

TBA

Patricia Cleary Miller
Saturday February 17, 2024 TBA
Saturday February 17, 2024 TBA
Grolier Book Shop Plympton Street Cambridge

7:00pm EST

Small Press Book Club Discusses: Homie by Danez Smith
Saturday February 17, 2024 7:00pm - 8:00pm EST
Read something off the beaten path! To contact our moderator email smallpress@brooklinebooksmith.com.

Discussing Homie by Danez Smith

Homie is Danez Smith’s magnificent anthem about the saving grace of friendship. Rooted in the loss of one of Smith’s close friends, this book comes out of the search for joy and intimacy within a nation where both can seem scarce and getting scarcer. In poems of rare power and generosity, Smith acknowledges that in a country overrun by violence, xenophobia, and disparity, and in a body defined by race, queerness, and diagnosis, it can be hard to survive, even harder to remember reasons for living. But then the phone lights up, or a shout comes up to the window, and family—blood and chosen—arrives with just the right food and some redemption. Part friendship diary, part bright elegy, part war cry, Homie is the exuberant new book written for Danez and for Danez’s friends and for you and for yours.

Danez Smith is the author of Don’t Call Us Dead, winner of the Forward Prize for Best Collection and a finalist for the National Book Award, and [insert boy], winner of the Kate Tufts Discovery Award. They live in Minneapolis.



Saturday February 17, 2024 7:00pm - 8:00pm EST
Brookline Booksmith
 
Sunday, February 18
 

6:00pm EST

Poem-Your Conscious - A Spoken Word Soiree
Sunday February 18, 2024 6:00pm - 8:30pm EST
Join us for a night of soulful spoken word poetry, where the community comes together to express their conscious thoughts through art!
Sunday February 18, 2024 6:00pm - 8:30pm EST
Historic Strand Theatre

7:00pm EST

First and Last Word Poetry Series
Sunday February 18, 2024 7:00pm - 8:00pm EST
Readers/Speakers
Sunday February 18, 2024 7:00pm - 8:00pm EST
Arts at the Armory Café

7:00pm EST

Poetry Open Mic Night at Trident
Sunday February 18, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST
Join us for a fun evening of open mic poetry! We invite you to bring your own works and perform them in front of a supportive crowd. There's no better place to find your voice and share it with the world! 
The sign-up list opens at 6:30 pm in the upstairs cafe and the mic opens at 7:00pm.
  • Seating is first come, first served! 
  • Each open mic slot gets you about three minutes of stage time.
  • No need to memorize your work - just be comfortable and have fun!
  • If you read someone else’s work, give credit where due. 
  • Above all, show kindness to all. No hate speech, slurs, or sexually explicit language. 
Got a question? Shoot us an e-mail!
Sunday February 18, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST
Trident Booksellers & Cafe
 
Monday, February 19
 

6:00pm EST

Boston Originals Series
Monday February 19, 2024 6:00pm - 8:00pm EST
Readers/Speakers
Monday February 19, 2024 6:00pm - 8:00pm EST
Woodberry Poetry Room Lamont Library, Room 330
 
Tuesday, February 20
 

TBA

4:15pm EST

History Reconsidered: Poetry Reading with Clint Smith
Tuesday February 20, 2024 4:15pm - 5:15pm EST
Clint Smith is a doctoral candidate at Harvard University and an Emerson Fellow at New America. His writing has been published in the New Yorker, the New York Times Magazine, the Atlantic, Poetry Magazine, the Paris Review, and elsewhere. His first full-length collection of poetry, Counting Descent, published in 2016, won the 2017 Literary Award for Best Poetry Book from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association and was a finalist for the NAACP Image Award. His debut nonfiction book, How the Word Is Passed, which explores how different historical sites reckon with—or fail to reckon with—their relationship to the history of slavery, is forthcoming from Little, Brown.
 
The reading will be followed by a Q&A session with Amanda Gorman, 2017 National Youth Poet Laureate.
 
To register, visit www.radcliffe.harvard.edu/event/2020-clint-smith-poetry-reading.
 
This event is part of the Roosevelt Poetry Readings at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. The Roosevelt Poetry Readings are made possible by a donor gift that will help bring poets of recognized stature to the Institute.
 
This event is free. Registration is required. We welcome students (of all levels and institutions) to attend our events.
Tuesday February 20, 2024 4:15pm - 5:15pm EST
Knafel Auditorium, Radcliffe Institute

6:00pm EST

Salamander Issue #49 Release Party
Tuesday February 20, 2024 6:00pm - 8:00pm EST
Please join us to celebrate the release of  Salamander #49, with readings from contributors Moira Linehan, Sonya Larson, and David Moloney!

Light refreshments will be served.
Readers/Speakers
Tuesday February 20, 2024 6:00pm - 8:00pm EST
Suffolk University Poetry Center Sawyer Library, 3rd Floor 73 Tremont Street Boston, MA
 
Wednesday, February 21
 

7:00pm EST

Breakwater Reading Series February Reading
Wednesday February 21, 2024 7:00pm - 10:00pm EST
Boston's only inter-MFA reading series second reading of 2020, featuring: Anna Hull, Sofia Marlin, Christopher Stelson Wilson, Anita Ballesteros, Christie Towers, and Andria Warren! Come support these readers!

Wednesday February 21, 2024 7:00pm - 10:00pm EST
56 Brattle Street Cambridge

7:30pm EST

The Juke: a Blues Bacchae
Wednesday February 21, 2024 7:30pm - 9:30pm EST
Join us for this foot-stomping, spirit-shaking concert version of an amazing new musical.From the pen of gifted poet/performer Regie Gibson comes this extraordinary adaptation of Euripides' classic tragedy.
Set in the small town of Crossroads, Mississippi, The Juke: A Blues Bacchae chronicles the fight between D'nysus, the divine son of the God of Blues, and his cousin Pent, defender of the Gospel faith, for the soul of the town.
With ear-popping poetic language and great music from gospel to jazz to funk to blues, this powerful human tale is guaranteed to thrill. Performed with a live band and some of Boston's most celebrated musical stars (including Elliot Norton Award Winner Davron Monroe and National Poetry Slam Winner and author Regie Gibson).

To reserve tickets ($10 general admission, $5 Somerville residents), go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-juke-a-blues-bacchae-tickets-92029000217/
Wednesday February 21, 2024 7:30pm - 9:30pm EST
Arts at the Armory Café

8:00pm EST

Boston Poetry Slam
Wednesday February 21, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EST
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.
Wednesday February 21, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EST
Cantab Lounge 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
 
Thursday, February 22
 

3:00pm EST

Gloria Mindock
Thursday February 22, 2024 3:00pm - 4:00pm EST
Thursday February 22, 2024 3:00pm - 4:00pm EST
Arts at the Armory/Basement B8

7:00pm EST

CANON, CANYON, CANNON: ALL BLACK EVERYTHING
Thursday February 22, 2024 7:00pm - 8:30pm EST
Join us for Canon, Canyon, Cannon, an evening of poetry and performance curated by Porsha Olayiwola, Boston Poet Laureate, Gardner Museum Artist-In-Residence, and Neighborhood Salon Luminary, and featuring leading local and national artists UGBA, Zenaida Peterson, Letta Neely, and Nikky Finney. These poets invite us to consider questions of influence and find new meaning through language and performance.
Thursday February 22, 2024 7:00pm - 8:30pm EST
Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum

7:30pm EST

The Juke: A Blues Bacchae
Thursday February 22, 2024 7:30pm - 9:30pm EST
Join us for this foot-stomping, spirit-shaking concert version of an amazing new musical.From the pen of gifted poet/performer Regie Gibson comes this extraordinary adaptation of Euripides' classic tragedy.
Set in the small town of Crossroads, Mississippi, The Juke: A Blues Bacchae chronicles the fight between D'nysus, the divine son of the God of Blues, and his cousin Pent, defender of the Gospel faith, for the soul of the town.
With ear-popping poetic language and great music from gospel to jazz to funk to blues, this powerful human tale is guaranteed to thrill. Performed with a live band and some of Boston's most celebrated musical stars (including Elliot Norton Award Winner Davron Monroe and National Poetry Slam Winner and author Regie Gibson).

To reserve tickets ($10 general admission, $5 Somerville residents), go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-juke-a-blues-bacchae-tickets-92029000217/
Thursday February 22, 2024 7:30pm - 9:30pm EST
Arts at the Armory Café
 
Friday, February 23
 

TBA

 
Saturday, February 24
 

TBA

Blacksmith House Poetry
Saturday February 24, 2024 TBA
Readers/Speakers
Saturday February 24, 2024 TBA
Blacksmith House

1:00pm EST

Nature Zine-Making Workshop
Saturday February 24, 2024 1:00pm - 2:30pm EST
Zines are self-published handmade booklets of writing and art that are folded or bound in a DIY-manner (such as with staples) and printed/circulated on a small scale. Zines can be used for many kinds of writing, such as poetry, essays, manifestos, stories, almost any genre or topic. In this workshop, we'll talk about zines, look at some examples, observe nature for inspiration, and then make our own zines! Art supplies will be provided, and participants can use natural materials gathered on a trail walk to create and decorate their zines. Participants will also have the option to share and discuss their work with others. This event will be partially outdoors, so please dress according to the weather. Experienced and beginner poets/artists welcome!
Saturday February 24, 2024 1:00pm - 2:30pm EST
Boston Nature Center and Wildlife Sanctuary

7:00pm EST

Black Box Reading Series (Poetry, Fiction, etc)
Saturday February 24, 2024 7:00pm - 8:30pm EST
Join us for an evening of fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and drama at the Boston Playwrights' Theatre as BU's MFA fiction and poetry writers (and several alumni) read from their work. On the menu: poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and even a scene from a play. Light snacks and drinks will be served.

Saturday February 24, 2024 7:00pm - 8:30pm EST
Boston Playwrights' Theatre 949 Commonwealth Avenue
 
Sunday, February 25
 

TBA

Joan Naviyuk Kane
Sunday February 25, 2024 TBA
Sunday February 25, 2024 TBA
MIT Stata Center

6:00pm EST

7:00pm EST

Poetry Open Mic Night at Trident
Sunday February 25, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST
Join us for a fun evening of open mic poetry! We invite you to bring your own works and perform them in front of a supportive crowd. There's no better place to find your voice and share it with the world! 
The sign-up list opens at 6:30 pm in the upstairs cafe and the mic opens at 7:00pm.
  • Seating is first come, first served! 
  • Each open mic slot gets you about three minutes of stage time.
  • No need to memorize your work - just be comfortable and have fun!
  • If you read someone else’s work, give credit where due. 
  • Above all, show kindness to all. No hate speech, slurs, or sexually explicit language. 
Got a question? Shoot us an e-mail!
Sunday February 25, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST
Trident Booksellers & Cafe
 
Monday, February 26
 

7:15pm EST

The Boston Poetry Slam features RLynn
Monday February 26, 2024 7:15pm - 11:00pm EST
RLynn is a bartender, visual artist, and poet living in Boston. They’re a Pink Door alumnus, with work in Cosmonauts Ave., maps for teeth, and The Shallow Ends. You can follow them on Instagram.

This show in our weekly Wednesday series takes place at the Cantab Lounge, 738 Massachusetts Ave. in Cambridge, with one flight of stairs to access the basement room (click for directions and accessibility information). Doors for the show open at 7:15. The open mic begins at 8:00 and the feature performs at approximately 10:00. The show is 18+ (ID required) and the cover charge is $3.
Readers/Speakers
Monday February 26, 2024 7:15pm - 11:00pm EST
Cantab Lounge 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
 
Tuesday, February 27
 

6:00pm EST

Getting to the Point with Richard Blanco
Tuesday February 27, 2024 6:00pm - 7:30pm EST
Presidential inaugural poet Richard Blanco will visit the Institute for a Getting to the Point discussion on the themes he explores in his recent poetry collection, How to Love a Country, and how Americans can find common ground through shared experiences and ideals.

Richard Blanco was the fifth presidential inaugural poet, serving as poet for President Obama’s second inauguration in 2013. He stands as the youngest, first Latino, immigrant, and gay person to serve in such a role. He is the author of four collections of poetry and three memoirs.

Mr. Blanco will perform a poetry reading as part of the program and will also participate in a book signing.

The event is free and attendees can register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/getting-to-the-point-with-richard-blanco-tickets-90788164845
Readers/Speakers
Tuesday February 27, 2024 6:00pm - 7:30pm EST
Edward M. Kennedy Institute For the U.S. Senate

7:00pm EST

Rozzie Reads Poetry and Open Mic
Tuesday February 27, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST
Tuesday February 27, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST
Roslindale House
 
Wednesday, February 28
 

7:00pm EST

An Evening With Richard Blanco
Wednesday February 28, 2024 7:00pm - 8:00pm EST
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.
Readers/Speakers
Wednesday February 28, 2024 7:00pm - 8:00pm EST
Pierce Hall, First Parish in Brookline

8:00pm EST

Boston Poetry Slam
Wednesday February 28, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EST
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.
Wednesday February 28, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EST
Cantab Lounge 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
 
Thursday, February 29
 

6:00pm EST

A Poetry Reading with Sandra Lim
Thursday February 29, 2024 6:00pm - 8:00pm EST
A Poetry Reading with Poet Sandra Lim.

The 2023-2024 New Directions in Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality seminar series is a forum for discussing new interdisciplinary scholarship in the field of women, gender, and sexuality studies. This year's series focuses on Art & Politics in the Asian Diaspora. Featured talks speak to multiple academic disciplines, methods, and traditions while forging an engaged and vibrant intellectual community.
Thursday February 29, 2024 6:00pm - 8:00pm EST
The Barker Center, Room 133
 
Friday, March 1
 

7:00pm EST

Grubbie Debut: Neema Avashia with E. B. Bartels
Friday March 1, 2024 7:00pm - 8:30pm EST
Porter Square Books and GrubStreet are delighted to present the latest installment of the Grubbie Debut series with author and GrubStreet instructor Neema Avashia in celebration of the release of Another Appalachia: Coming Up Queer and Indian in a Mountain Place. Neema will be joined in conversation by fellow author and GrubStreet instructor E. B. Bartels. This event will take place at Porter Square Books: Boston Edition- please RSVP for updates on venue and more.

Neema Avashia was born and raised in southern West Virginia to parents who immigrated to the United States. She has been a middle school teacher in the Boston Public Schools since 2003. Her essays have appeared in the Bitter Southerner, Catapult, Kenyon Review Online, and elsewhere. E.B. Bartels is a nonfiction writer, a former Newtonville Books bookseller, and a GrubStreet instructor, with an MFA from Columbia. Her writing has been published in Catapult, The Rumpus, The Millions, and The Toast. She lives in Massachusetts.
Readers/Speakers
Friday March 1, 2024 7:00pm - 8:30pm EST
GrubStreet Center for Creative Writing
 
Sunday, March 3
 

6:00pm EST

Marie Howe
Sunday March 3, 2024 6:00pm - 7:00pm EST
Sunday March 3, 2024 6:00pm - 7:00pm EST
Tufts University

7:00pm EST

Boston Poetry Out Loud Semi-Finals
Sunday March 3, 2024 7:00pm - 9:30pm EST
Poetry Out Loud is a national recitation contest that celebrates the power of the spoken word and a mastery of public speaking skills while cultivating self-confidence and an appreciation of students’ literary heritage as they take poetry from the page to the stage. Celebrating 15 years in 2020, Poetry Out Loud has inspired hundreds of thousands of high school students to discover and appreciate both classic and contemporary poetry.

For more information on Poetry Out Loud, visit the official website at poetryoutloud.org. For information about the Massachusetts contests, please contact Meg O'Brien, Director of Education at poetryoutloud@huntingtontheatre.org.

The Boston Semi-Final will be held at the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA, 527 Tremont Street, Boston, MA.

Poetry Out Loud is a national program run by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation. The Huntington Theatre Company's Education Department, in partnership with the Mass Cultural Council, are proud to facilitate Poetry Out Loud for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 

**All contests are free and open to the public.
**Ending time for event is approximate
Sunday March 3, 2024 7:00pm - 9:30pm EST
Huntington Theatre Company
 
Tuesday, March 5
 

7:15pm EST

Boston Poetry Slam featuring Susanna Kitrredge
Tuesday March 5, 2024 7:15pm - 11:30pm EST
Susanna Kittredge is a schoolteacher and poet from the Boston area. She belongs to the Jamaica Pond Poets, a weekly workshop group that includes several psychologists, a candy-maker, and multiple feisty old ladies. She is also a regular participant at the Brighton Word Factory, a super fun bi-weekly collaborative writing party. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University. Susanna is thrilled to announce that her first full-length poetry collection, The Future Has a Reputation, was published by CW Books in January, 2020! You can find links to her work at her website.

An open poetry slam is scheduled for the late-night portion of this show, following the feature. The slam will be speed slam format: eight open sign-ups will be available starting at door time, and poets will slam head-to-head in up to three rounds with time limits of 3, 2, and 1 minute. Winner and runner-up qualify for the 2020 Team Selection series. To volunteer to judge in exchange for free admission to the show, or to ask questions about the slam, email the slam curator at slamseries@bostonpoetryslam.com.

This show in our weekly Wednesday series takes place at the Cantab Lounge, 738 Massachusetts Ave. in Cambridge, with one flight of stairs to access the basement room (click for directions and accessibility information). Doors for the show open at 7:15. The open mic begins at 8:00 and the feature performs at approximately 10:00, with the poetry slam to follow. The show is 18+ (ID required) and the cover charge is $3.
Tuesday March 5, 2024 7:15pm - 11:30pm EST
Cantab Lounge 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
 
Wednesday, March 6
 

8:00pm EST

Boston Poetry Slam
Wednesday March 6, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EST
The Boston Poetry Slam holds a weekly show every Wednesday downstairs at the Cantab Lounge. This is the flagship show of the Boston Poetry Slam and the entire night is devoted to the craft, performance, and enjoyment of poetry.
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. If you want to read, come early, and be sure to read our Entry Line & Sign Up Rules.
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.
For directions and parking, click here. For more information about how to ensure yourself a seat or a spot on the open mic, see our FAQ.
Wednesday March 6, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EST
Cantab Lounge 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
 
Thursday, March 7
 

7:00pm EST

Poetry at the Y Series ft. Timothy Gager and Sarah Snyder
Thursday March 7, 2024 7:00pm - 8:00pm EST
Readers/Speakers
Thursday March 7, 2024 7:00pm - 8:00pm EST
West Suburban YMCA

7:00pm EST

March U35 Mass Poetry Reading
Thursday March 7, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST

Join us for the return of our U35 reading series on March 7th from 7:00-9:00pm at Trident Booksellers and Cafe! The U35 series seeks to promote and bolster young Massachusetts poets while giving them a venue to share their work and connect with other poets. This March, we have an exciting lineup, including Tatiana Johnson-Boria, Simone John, and Cassandra de Alba.
Tatiana Johnson-Boria (she/her) is the author of Nocturne in Joy (2023). She’s also an educator and facilitator who uses her writing practice to dismantle racism, reckon with trauma, and to cultivate healing. She’s an award-winning writer who’s received distinguished fellowships from Tin House, The Massachusetts Cultural Council, The MacDowell Residency, and others. Tatiana is also the founder of Johnson-Boria Creative, where she uses the power of creativity and coaching to help individuals and visionary organizations balance big ideas and execution, to manifest their creative dreams. 
Simone John’s poetry brings her to institutions, classrooms, and community events to read and lead discussions. Her debut full-length collection Testify, was published by Octopus Books in 2017. She received an MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College with an emphasis on documentary poetics. Simone was the recipient of the 2020 Poetry Fellowship from the Mass Cultural Council. Her work has been reviewed in PBS Newshour, Boston Globe, Bustle, Publisher’s Weekly, and elsewhere.
Cassandra de Alba is a writer living in Massachusetts. Her chapbooks are habitats (Horse Less Press, 2016), Ugly/Sad (Glass Poetry Press, 2020) and Cryptids (with Aly Pierce, Ginger Bug Press, 2020). Her work has appeared in The Shallow Ends, Big Lucks, and Wax Nine, among other publications. Visit her at cassandradealba.com.
Thursday March 7, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST
Trident Booksellers & Cafe
 
Friday, March 8
 

4:30pm EST

 
Sunday, March 10
 

7:00pm EDT

Lizard Lounge Poetry Slam
Sunday March 10, 2024 7:00pm - 10:00pm EDT
The doors open at 7:00 pm every Sunday, and we start with our “Poetry Slam.” The “Featured Poet” will start roughly at 8:30 pm, accompanied by the Blake Newman Group. After the Featured Poet, we have our “Open Mic,” also accompanied by the Blake Newman Group. There’s a $10 cover charge, and the Lizard Lounge is a 21+ venue.
Sunday March 10, 2024 7:00pm - 10:00pm EDT
The Lizard Lounge
 
Monday, March 11
 

7:00pm EDT

Poetry Reading and Open Mike
Monday March 11, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
This year’s Poetry Series continues with readings by Wyn Cooper, Nausheen Eusuf and Michael Steffen. An open mike will follow with a limit of one poem per person. Come early to sign up for the open mike; limited slots are available, time permitting. The series is facilitated by Doug Holder of Ibbetson Street Press. Info contact: Doug at dougholder@post.harvard.edu.

Readers/Speakers
Monday March 11, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Newton Free Library
 
Tuesday, March 12
 

7:15pm EDT

Boston Poetry Slam featuring Adam Falkner
Tuesday March 12, 2024 7:15pm - 11:30pm EDT
Dr. Adam Falkner is a poet, educator and arts & culture strategist. He is the author of Adoption (winner of the 2017 Diode Editions Chapbook Award) and The Willies (Button Poetry, 2020), and his work has appeared in a range of print and media spaces including on programming for HBO, NBC, NPR, BET, in the New York Times, and elsewhere. A former high school English teacher in New York City’s public schools, Adam is the Founder and Executive Director of the pioneering diversity consulting initiative, the Dialogue Arts Project, in which capacity he develops and facilitates trainings for schools, companies and cultural institutions across the nation. Adam has toured the United States as a guest artist, lecturer and consultant for thousands of students, educators and corporate employees, and was the featured performer at President Obama’s Grassroots Ball at the 2009 Presidential Inauguration. He holds a Ph.D. in English and Education from Columbia University.

An open poetry slam is scheduled for the late-night portion of this show, following the feature. The slam will be speed slam format: eight open sign-ups will be available starting at door time, and poets will slam head-to-head in up to three rounds with time limits of 3, 2, and 1 minute. Winner and runner-up qualify for the 2020 Team Selection series. To volunteer to judge in exchange for free admission to the show, or to ask questions about the slam, email the slam curator at slamseries@bostonpoetryslam.com.

This show in our weekly Wednesday series takes place at the Cantab Lounge, 738 Massachusetts Ave. in Cambridge, with one flight of stairs to access the basement room (click for directions and accessibility information). Doors for the show open at 7:15. The open mic begins at 8:00 and the feature performs at approximately 10:00, with the poetry slam to follow. The show is 18+ (ID required) and the cover charge is $3.
Readers/Speakers Hosts
Tuesday March 12, 2024 7:15pm - 11:30pm EDT
Cantab Lounge 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
 
Wednesday, March 13
 

4:00pm EDT

Thresh & Hold
Wednesday March 13, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT

THRESH & HOLD is a book of poems re-coded into a collaborative ceremony of composed and improvisational music, dance, poetry, and short film.

“Exhausted of singing in an empire’s hopeful choir,” Dekine’s poems play with past, present, and future, all held within any moment, remembering the power of Black imagination for collective ancestral healing. Join Marlanda Dekine for an evening-length, multimedia experience centered around their forthcoming full-length debut poetry collection, Thresh & Hold (Hub City Press, 2022).

With collaborative artists Victoria Lynn Awkward (Dance), Brittany J. Green (Composer), Mahkia Greene (Film), Zahili Gonzalez Zamora (Music), and Emily Bearce (Lights).
Readers/Speakers
Wednesday March 13, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
Boston Center for the Arts

8:00pm EDT

Boston Poetry Slam
Wednesday March 13, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EDT
The Boston Poetry Slam holds a weekly show every Wednesday downstairs at the Cantab Lounge. This is the flagship show of the Boston Poetry Slam and the entire night is devoted to the craft, performance, and enjoyment of poetry.
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. If you want to read, come early, and be sure to read our Entry Line & Sign Up Rules.
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.
For directions and parking, click here. For more information about how to ensure yourself a seat or a spot on the open mic, see our FAQ.
Wednesday March 13, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EDT
Cantab Lounge 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
 
Thursday, March 14
 

5:00pm EDT

Poetry Salon at Beacon Hill Books
Thursday March 14, 2024 5:00pm - 6:00pm EDT
Join Beacon Hill Books for a reading with poets Octavio R. González, Liseli Fitzpatrick, and Heather Bryant!
Thursday March 14, 2024 5:00pm - 6:00pm EDT
Beacon Hill Books & Cafe

7:00pm EDT

Matthew Lippman and Jacob Strautmann
Thursday March 14, 2024 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Thursday March 14, 2024 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Brookline Booksmith

7:00pm EDT

Adam Falkner reading, "The Willies"
Thursday March 14, 2024 7:00pm - 8:30pm EDT
TBA
Dr. Adam Falkner is a poet, educator and arts & culture strategist. He is the author of "Adoption" (Winner of the 2017 Diode Editions Chapbook Award) and "The Willies" (forthcoming from Button Poetry, 2020), and his work has appeared in a range of print and media spaces including on programming for HBO, NBC, NPR, BET, in the New York Times, and elsewhere.

A former high school English teacher in New York City’s public schools, Adam is the Founder and Executive Director of the pioneering diversity consulting initiative, the Dialogue Arts Project, and Special Projects Director for Urban Word NYC, in which capacity he oversees the New York City Youth Poet Laureate program, and the organization’s partnerships with corporate and cultural institutions across the country. Adam has toured the United States as a guest artist, lecturer and trainer for thousands of students, educators and culture workers, and was the featured performer at President Obama’s Grassroots Ball at the 2009 Presidential Inauguration. He holds a Ph.D. in English and Education from Columbia University.
Readers/Speakers
Thursday March 14, 2024 7:00pm - 8:30pm EDT
TBA

7:30pm EDT

CANCELED - Chapter and Verse Literary Reading Series
Thursday March 14, 2024 7:30pm - 8:30pm EDT
TBA
hapter and Verse is a free literary reading series sponsored by the Jamaica Pond Poets, usually on the second Friday of the month, from October through May. The events take place at the Loring Greenough House in Jamaica Plain at 7:30 PM. The operating committee members are  Dorothy Derifield, Sandra Storey, Susanna Kittridge, Jennifer Markell, and Alan Smith Soto
There are three readers followed by free refreshments. Open to all. Please join us. A $5.00 donation is requested but not required.For more information, contact dorothy.derifield@gmail.com
Thursday March 14, 2024 7:30pm - 8:30pm EDT
TBA
 
Friday, March 15
 

7:00pm EDT

Emerson College Department of Writing, Literature & Publishing Reading Series: Special Guest Martín Espada
Friday March 15, 2024 7:00pm - 8:30pm EDT

Please join the Department of Writing, Literature & Publishing for a very special event on Tuesday, March 15, 2022 at the Bill Bordy Theatre beginning at 7:00 p.m.

We are honored to be hosting the recipient of the 2021 National Book Awards 2021 for Poetry, Martín Espada. You are cordially invited to attend in-person at Bordy Theater, 216 Tremont St. or virtually. Those who cannot join us in-person are welcome to register to watch the event via livestream. If attending in-person, please complete the Covid attestation found on the Eventbrite registration page. Martín will be available to sign his book, Floaters, which we will have on sale that evening at the Bordy Theater.

Pre-registration is necessary for both in-person and virtual attendance.
Readers/Speakers
Friday March 15, 2024 7:00pm - 8:30pm EDT
The Bill Bordy Theatre of Emerson College
 
Sunday, March 17
 

7:00pm EDT

Ancient Poet Spotlight: Enheduanna
Sunday March 17, 2024 7:00pm - 8:30pm EDT
By some accounts Enheduanna is the earliest known, named author from the 23rd century BCE. We’ll be reading poems by Enheduanna and looking at archaeological artifacts of Sumerian culture. You don’t have to read in advance unless you would like to. A Zoom link will be shared on the day of the event on our FB page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/diymfa) or email the organizer if you need the Zoom link emailed to you: aprilmarchpenn@gmail.com.
Sunday March 17, 2024 7:00pm - 8:30pm EDT
Online

7:00pm EDT

Poetry Open Mic Night at Trident
Sunday March 17, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Join us for a fun evening of open mic poetry! We invite you to bring your own works and perform them in front of a supportive crowd. There's no better place to find your voice and share it with the world! 
The sign-up list opens at 6:30 pm in the upstairs cafe and the mic opens at 7:00pm.
  • Seating is first come, first served! 
  • Each open mic slot gets you about three minutes of stage time.
  • No need to memorize your work - just be comfortable and have fun!
  • If you read someone else’s work, give credit where due. 
  • Above all, show kindness to all. No hate speech, slurs, or sexually explicit language. 
Got a question? Shoot us an e-mail!
Sunday March 17, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Trident Booksellers & Cafe

7:00pm EDT

Lizard Lounge Poetry Slam
Sunday March 17, 2024 7:00pm - 10:00pm EDT
The doors open at 7:00 pm every Sunday, and we start with our “Poetry Slam.” The “Featured Poet” will start roughly at 8:30 pm, accompanied by the Blake Newman Group. After the Featured Poet, we have our “Open Mic,” also accompanied by the Blake Newman Group. There’s a $10 cover charge, and the Lizard Lounge is a 21+ venue.
Sunday March 17, 2024 7:00pm - 10:00pm EDT
The Lizard Lounge
 
Monday, March 18
 

7:00pm EDT

CANCELLED - David Ferry
Monday March 18, 2024 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Monday March 18, 2024 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Suffolk University Poetry Center Sawyer Library, 3rd Floor 73 Tremont Street Boston, MA

7:00pm EDT

Poets & Plants
Monday March 18, 2024 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Monday March 18, 2024 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Pemberton Farms
 
Tuesday, March 19
 

7:15pm EDT

Boston Poetry Slam featuring Lip Manegio
Tuesday March 19, 2024 7:15pm - 11:30pm EDT
Lip Manegio (they/them) is a Pushcart nominated writer, organizer, & cryptid who is learning to be unapologetically in love with life. They are currently pursuing a BFA in creative writing with a minor in art history at Emerson College, where they also serve as co-president of the Emerson Poetry Project.

They represented Emerson at CUPSI 2018 & 2019, have appeared on finals stages at FEMS & Capturing Fire, and were on the winning team at Vox Pop 2018. Their work has appeared in Glass: A Journal of Poetry, Puerto del Sol, tenderness lit, Gordon Square Review, Tin House, and elsewhere. Their debut chapbook, We’ve All Seen Helena, a collection of poems about queerness, survival, & My Chemical Romance, is available now from Game Over Books.

An open poetry slam is scheduled for the late-night portion of this show, following the feature. The slam will be speed slam format: eight open sign-ups will be available starting at door time, and poets will slam head-to-head in up to three rounds with time limits of 3, 2, and 1 minute. Winner and runner-up qualify for the 2020 Team Selection series. To volunteer to judge in exchange for free admission to the show, or to ask questions about the slam, email the slam curator at slamseries@bostonpoetryslam.com.

This show in our weekly Wednesday series takes place at the Cantab Lounge, 738 Massachusetts Ave. in Cambridge, with one flight of stairs to access the basement room (click for directions and accessibility information). Doors for the show open at 7:15. The open mic begins at 8:00 and the feature performs at approximately 10:00, with the poetry slam to follow. The show is 18+ (ID required) and the cover charge is $3.
Readers/Speakers Hosts
Tuesday March 19, 2024 7:15pm - 11:30pm EDT
Cantab Lounge 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
 
Wednesday, March 20
 

8:00pm EDT

Boston Poetry Slam
Wednesday March 20, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EDT
The Boston Poetry Slam holds a weekly show every Wednesday downstairs at the Cantab Lounge. This is the flagship show of the Boston Poetry Slam and the entire night is devoted to the craft, performance, and enjoyment of poetry.
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. If you want to read, come early, and be sure to read our Entry Line & Sign Up Rules.
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.
For directions and parking, click here. For more information about how to ensure yourself a seat or a spot on the open mic, see our FAQ.
Wednesday March 20, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EDT
Cantab Lounge 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
 
Friday, March 22
 

7:00pm EDT

Solidarity Salon
Friday March 22, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
The Solidarity Salon features a variety of creative artists who are women, people of color, immigrants, LGBTQ and/or differently-abled. Admission is free but donations are accepted. The donations recipient for our March 21 event will be Abilities Dance Boston.
Friday March 22, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
The Community Church of Boston
 
Saturday, March 23
 

3:00pm EDT

John Mulrooney and Danielle Legros Georges @ Xit the Bear Reading Series
Saturday March 23, 2024 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
Readers/Speakers
Saturday March 23, 2024 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
The Press Room 90 Oxford Street, Somerville MA
 
Sunday, March 24
 

6:00pm EDT

Poetry Reading by Mary Szybist
Sunday March 24, 2024 6:00pm - 7:00pm EDT
Mary Szybist is the author of Incarnadine (Graywolf Press, 2013), winner of the 2013 National Book Award for Poetry, and Granted (Alice James Books, 2003), winner of the 2003 Beatrice Hawley Award from Alice James Books and the 2004 Great Lakes Colleges Association New Writers Award. She is also the recipient of fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Rona Jaffe Foundation, and the Witter Bynner Foundation. She teaches at Lewis & Clark College and lives in Portland, Oregon.

Readers/Speakers
Sunday March 24, 2024 6:00pm - 7:00pm EDT
Katzenberg Center, 3rd floor, CGS 871 Commonwealth Avenue

7:00pm EDT

Nixes Mate Poetry Reading/Book Launch
Sunday March 24, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Nixes Mate is a navigational hazard in Boston Harbor. 42° 19' 47.9" North · 70° 56' 43.9" West
They want to challenge the preconceived notions of reading on the web by using off-the-shelf technology to build a best-in-breed literary magazine. More than a magazine, it's a website. They feature small-batch artisanal literature, created by writers who've been honing their craft the time-honored way: one line at a time.
About the Authors
David P. Miller’s chapbook, The Afterimages, was published by Červená Barva Press. He received degrees in theater at the University of Massachusetts/Amherst and Emerson College, and librarianship from Simmons College. For twenty-five years, he was a member of the Mobius Artists Group of Boston, creating his own performance art pieces and collaborating on performances of original experimental work, as well as pieces by John Cage, Gertrude Stein, and Jackson Mac Low. In 2018, he retired from Curry College in Milton, Massachusetts, where he was a librarian for twenty-six years. A resident of Boston since 1978, he lives in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood with his wife, the visual artist Jane Wiley.
Brad Rose was born and raised in Los Angeles and lives in Boston. He is the author of a collection of poetry and flash fiction, Pink X-Ray (Big Table Publishing, 2015, http://pinkx-ray.com and Amazon.com.) His two new books of poems, Momentary Turbulence and WordinEdgeWise, are forthcoming from Cervena Barva Press. Brad is also the author of five chapbooks of poetry and flash fiction, Democracy of Secrets, Coyotes Circle the Party Store, Dancing School Nerves, An Evil Twin is Always in Good Companyand Away with Words. Three times nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and once nominated for Best of the Net Anthology, Brad’s poetry and micro fiction have appeared in, The American Journal of Poetry, The Los Angeles Times, Folio, decomP, Lunch Ticket, The Baltimore ReviewPositOff the Coast, Clockhouse, and other publications.


Event date:
Monday, March 23, 2020 - 7:00pm


Event address:
338 Newbury Street
Boston, MA 02115
Readers/Speakers
Sunday March 24, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Trident Bookstore

7:00pm EDT

Poetry Open Mic Night at Trident
Sunday March 24, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Join us for a fun evening of open mic poetry! We invite you to bring your own works and perform them in front of a supportive crowd. There's no better place to find your voice and share it with the world! 
The sign-up list opens at 6:30 pm in the upstairs cafe and the mic opens at 7:00pm.
  • Seating is first come, first served! 
  • Each open mic slot gets you about three minutes of stage time.
  • No need to memorize your work - just be comfortable and have fun!
  • If you read someone else’s work, give credit where due. 
  • Above all, show kindness to all. No hate speech, slurs, or sexually explicit language. 
Got a question? Shoot us an e-mail!
Sunday March 24, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Trident Booksellers & Cafe

7:00pm EDT

Lizard Lounge Poetry Slam
Sunday March 24, 2024 7:00pm - 10:00pm EDT
The doors open at 7:00 pm every Sunday, and we start with our “Poetry Slam.” The “Featured Poet” will start roughly at 8:30 pm, accompanied by the Blake Newman Group. After the Featured Poet, we have our “Open Mic,” also accompanied by the Blake Newman Group. There’s a $10 cover charge, and the Lizard Lounge is a 21+ venue.
Sunday March 24, 2024 7:00pm - 10:00pm EDT
The Lizard Lounge
 
Wednesday, March 27
 

7:00pm EDT

Rozzie Reads Poetry and Open Mic
Wednesday March 27, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
 Kathleen McCann lives in Weymouth, Massachusetts, by the sea. She has two chapbooks: The Small Hours, and The Sea’s Rosary in print and two full-length collections: A Roof Gone To Sky, and Barn Sour. New poems are forthcoming in Poetry Ireland and New American Writing. One of her poems, Lone Egret, was selected by Ted Kooser for his syndicated newspaper column: American Life in Poetry.
David P. Miller’s collection, Sprawled Asleep, was published by Nixes Mate Books in 2019. Poems have recently appeared in Meat for Tea, Hawaii Pacific Review, Turtle Island Quarterly, Clementine Unbound, Constellations, J Journal, The Lily Poetry Review, Unlost, Ibbetson Street, and What Rough Beast. His poem “Add One Father to Earth” was awarded an Honorable Mention by Robert Pinsky for the New England Poetry Club's 2019 Samuel Washington Allen Prize competition
Readers/Speakers
Wednesday March 27, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Roslindale House

8:00pm EDT

Boston Poetry Slam
Wednesday March 27, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EDT
The Boston Poetry Slam holds a weekly show every Wednesday downstairs at the Cantab Lounge. This is the flagship show of the Boston Poetry Slam and the entire night is devoted to the craft, performance, and enjoyment of poetry.
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. If you want to read, come early, and be sure to read our Entry Line & Sign Up Rules.
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.
For directions and parking, click here. For more information about how to ensure yourself a seat or a spot on the open mic, see our FAQ.
Wednesday March 27, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EDT
Cantab Lounge 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
 
Friday, March 29
 

4:00pm EDT

Alec Solomita and Philip Nikolayev
Friday March 29, 2024 4:00pm - 6:00pm EDT
Friday March 29, 2024 4:00pm - 6:00pm EDT
Outpost 186

4:00pm EDT

The Liminal Reading Series
Friday March 29, 2024 4:00pm - 6:00pm EDT
Alysia Abbott reads Steve Abbott and Jim Cory reads Karl Tierney
Readers/Speakers
Friday March 29, 2024 4:00pm - 6:00pm EDT
MIT Press Bookstore

6:00pm EDT

IAWA Open Mic and Featured Reading
Friday March 29, 2024 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Readers/Speakers
Friday March 29, 2024 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
I Am Books
 
Sunday, March 31
 

6:00pm EDT

Irish Voices: Poetry Reading by Alan Gillis and David Wheatley
Sunday March 31, 2024 6:00pm - 7:00pm EDT
Alan Gillis teaches creative writing as well as modern and contemporary poetry at the University of Edinburgh. Alan Gillis's books of poetry include Somebody, Somewhere (2004), Hawks and Doves (2007), which was a Poetry Book Society Recommendation and was shortlisted for the T. S. Eliot Prize, and Scapegoat (2014), all published by The Gallery Press. As a critic, he is author of Irish Poetry of the 1930s (Oxford University Press, 2005). Gillis co-edited The Oxford Handbook of Modern Irish Poetry (OUP, 2011) with Fran Brearton. He was the editor of Edinburgh Review from 2010 to 2015.

David Wheatley was born in Dublin and is the author of five poetry collections with The Gallery Press, including A Nest on the Waves (2010) and The President of Planet Earth (2017), which was shortlisted for The Irish Times Poetry Now Award, and the critical study Contemporary British Poetry (Palgrave Macmillan, 2014). He has edited the work of James Clarence Mangan for The Gallery Press, Samuel Beckett’s Selected Poems 1930–1989 for Faber and Faber, and The Wake Forest Series of Irish Poetry, Vol. IV (WFU Press, 2017). His writing has won various prizes, including the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature, the Vincent Buckley Prize, and the Friends Provident (Irish) National Irish Poetry Competition. He lives in rural Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
Readers/Speakers
Sunday March 31, 2024 6:00pm - 7:00pm EDT
Katzenberg Center, 3rd floor, CGS 871 Commonwealth Avenue

7:00pm EDT

Poetry Open Mic Night at Trident
Sunday March 31, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Join us for a fun evening of open mic poetry! We invite you to bring your own works and perform them in front of a supportive crowd. There's no better place to find your voice and share it with the world! 
The sign-up list opens at 6:30 pm in the upstairs cafe and the mic opens at 7:00pm.
  • Seating is first come, first served! 
  • Each open mic slot gets you about three minutes of stage time.
  • No need to memorize your work - just be comfortable and have fun!
  • If you read someone else’s work, give credit where due. 
  • Above all, show kindness to all. No hate speech, slurs, or sexually explicit language. 
Got a question? Shoot us an e-mail!
Sunday March 31, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Trident Booksellers & Cafe
 
Tuesday, April 2
 

5:15pm EDT

POSTPONED - Harvard Divinity School Ingersoll Lecture with Anne Carson
Tuesday April 2, 2024 5:15pm - 6:30pm EDT
We are delighted to invite you to this year's Harvard Divinity School Ingersoll Lecture on the Immortality of Man, “A Lecture on the History of Skywriting,” by poet, essayist, translator, and Professor of Classics Anne Carson.  Organized and sponsored jointly by the Center for the Study of World Religions and Harvard Divinity School as well as the Woodberry Poetry Room at Harvard University, this special event will take place on Wednesday, April 1, 2020, from 5:15 to 6:30 pm at the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in the Norton’s Woods Conference Center (136 Irving Street, Cambridge).  Books will be sold at the event by The Coop.
 
Kindly note that seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.  
Readers/Speakers
Tuesday April 2, 2024 5:15pm - 6:30pm EDT
Norton's Woods Conference Center

7:00pm EDT

Brandon Melendez & Courtney LeBlanc @ Porter Square Books
Tuesday April 2, 2024 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
TBA
Join Write Bloody poet Brandon Melendez and Vegetarian Alcoholic Press poet Courtney LeBlanc as they kick off National Poetry Month with a reading from their newest books featuring poems about love, loss, home, violence, grief, family, and hope.


Tuesday April 2, 2024 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
TBA
 
Wednesday, April 3
 

8:00pm EDT

Boston Poetry Slam
Wednesday April 3, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EDT
The Boston Poetry Slam holds a weekly show every Wednesday downstairs at the Cantab Lounge. This is the flagship show of the Boston Poetry Slam and the entire night is devoted to the craft, performance, and enjoyment of poetry.
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. If you want to read, come early, and be sure to read our Entry Line & Sign Up Rules.
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.
For directions and parking, click here. For more information about how to ensure yourself a seat or a spot on the open mic, see our FAQ.
Wednesday April 3, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EDT
Cantab Lounge 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
 
Friday, April 5
 

5:30pm EDT

CITIMIC
Friday April 5, 2024 5:30pm - 8:00pm EDT
Hosted by Boston Poet Laureate Porsha Olayiwola, featuring special guest Chen Chen, and in collaboration with the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture, CitiMic is an opportunity to spend an evening celebrating poetry written and performed by your friends, family, neighbors, and community members. Join us to share your own poetry or as an audience member, enjoying the talent that Boston's poets have to offer.
Doors and sign-up for the open mic are at 5:30 p.m. Programming begins at 6 p.m. Light refreshments will be provided.
Friday April 5, 2024 5:30pm - 8:00pm EDT
Boston City Hall Square, Civic Pavilion

8:00pm EDT

"Voyage of Edgar Allen Poe" Opera
Friday April 5, 2024 8:00pm - 10:00pm EDT
Hailed by The New York Times as “one of the nation’s most intriguing opera companies,” Odyssey Opera, in partnership with the Boston Modern Orchestra Project (BMOP), presents the New England premiere of Dominick Argento’s opera The Voyage of Edgar Allan Poe, on Friday, April 5, 2024, in Poe’s birthplace of Boston. In a one-night only, semi-staged production, Grammy Award-winning conductor Gil Rose leads a formidable cast including tenor Peter Tantsits playing the lead role of Poe, the Odyssey Opera chorus, the acclaimed BMOP orchestra, and more.
Friday April 5, 2024 8:00pm - 10:00pm EDT
The Huntington Theater
 
Saturday, April 6
 

10:00am EDT

First Breath
Saturday April 6, 2024 10:00am - 6:00pm EDT
Mass Poetry will also be hosting a day of poetic education and celebration in April for teens involved in the Team Slam competition. This lead-up event is aptly named “First Breath,” inspired by the concept of taking a pause to calm one’s mind and body before performing a poem. Teams will join together for a series of masterclasses, an open mic, and a group piece. It will be a non-competitive, poetry-filled day of fun and comradery. “First Breath” will take place on Saturday, April 6th, 2024, from 10:00-6:00.
Saturday April 6, 2024 10:00am - 6:00pm EDT
GrubStreet Center for Creative Writing
 
Sunday, April 7
 

7:00pm EDT

Haleh Liza Gafori, author of Gold, with Kythe Letitia Heller at Porter Square Books: Cambridge Edition
Sunday April 7, 2024 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
TBA
Porter Square Books is delighted to welcome Haleh Liza Gafori for Gold, a new translation of Rumi that has been called "ecstatic and piercing." Gafori will be joined in conversation by writer, interdisciplinary artist, and doctoral candidate at Harvard University Kythe Letitia Heller. This event will take place in person at our Cambridge location on Thursday, April 7 at 7pm. It's free to attend, but space will be limited, so be sure to register for your free ticket below.

Rumi’s poems were meant to induce a sense of ecstatic illumination and liberation in his audience, bringing its members to a condition of serenity, compassion, and oneness with the divine. They remain masterpieces of world literature to which readers in many languages continually return for inspiration and succor, as wellas aesthetic delight. This new translation by Haleh Liza Gafori preserves the intelligence and the drama of the poems, which are as full of individual character as they are of visionary wisdom.

Marilyn Hacker praises Gafori’s new translations of Rumi as “the work of someone who is at once an acute and enamored reader of the original Farsi text, a dedicated miner of context and backstory, and, best of all, a marvelous poet in English.”

Sunday April 7, 2024 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
TBA

7:00pm EDT

Poetry Open Mic Night at Trident
Sunday April 7, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Join us for a fun evening of open mic poetry! We invite you to bring your own works and perform them in front of a supportive crowd. There's no better place to find your voice and share it with the world! 
The sign-up list opens at 6:30 pm in the upstairs cafe and the mic opens at 7:00pm.
  • Seating is first come, first served! 
  • Each open mic slot gets you about three minutes of stage time.
  • No need to memorize your work - just be comfortable and have fun!
  • If you read someone else’s work, give credit where due. 
  • Above all, show kindness to all. No hate speech, slurs, or sexually explicit language. 
Got a question? Shoot us an e-mail!
Sunday April 7, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Trident Booksellers & Cafe
 
Tuesday, April 9
 

6:00pm EDT

Cathy Park Hong
Tuesday April 9, 2024 6:00pm - 7:00pm EDT
Readers/Speakers
Tuesday April 9, 2024 6:00pm - 7:00pm EDT
Forum Room, Lamont Library
 
Wednesday, April 10
 

6:00pm EDT

CANCELLED - Joy Harjo
Wednesday April 10, 2024 6:00pm - 7:00pm EDT
Readers/Speakers
Wednesday April 10, 2024 6:00pm - 7:00pm EDT
Menschell Hall Harvard Art Museums

6:30pm EDT

Nick Flynn--Stay
Wednesday April 10, 2024 6:30pm - 8:00pm EDT
Join artist Daniel Heyman for a conversation with Nick Flynn about collaboration. With his new book Stay, acclaimed poet, artist, and bestselling memoirist Nick Flynn presents a self-portrait via a constellation of topics that have circled his work. Ranging from the impact of suicide and homelessness to addiction, political engagement, and the vital power of artistic friendships, Stay is a mixed-media retrospective that shows nothing is created in isolation. Mirroring Flynn’s life, this work of visual and literary memoir is populated by examples of his collaborations since the 1980s with such luminaries as the photographers Amy Arbus and Catherine Opie, composer Guy Barash, actor Robert De Niro, cartoonist Josh Neufeld, author Sarah Sentilles, filmmaker Paul Weitz, and artists John Baldessari, Marilyn Minter, and Bill Shuck. In Flynn’s refusal to conform to narrative or the safety of his own perspective, Stay grasps for an essential truth, an answer to what art, in the end, can and cannot reflect.

The event will also feature performances by tK (Thalia Zedek, Heather Kapplow, and Phil Milstein), as well as a reading by City of Boston Youth Poet Laureate Alondra Bobadilla.
Wednesday April 10, 2024 6:30pm - 8:00pm EDT
Boston Public Library's Main Branch

8:00pm EDT

Boston Poetry Slam
Wednesday April 10, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EDT
The Boston Poetry Slam holds a weekly show every Wednesday downstairs at the Cantab Lounge. This is the flagship show of the Boston Poetry Slam and the entire night is devoted to the craft, performance, and enjoyment of poetry.
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. If you want to read, come early, and be sure to read our Entry Line & Sign Up Rules.
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.
For directions and parking, click here. For more information about how to ensure yourself a seat or a spot on the open mic, see our FAQ.
Wednesday April 10, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EDT
Cantab Lounge 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
 
Thursday, April 11
 

7:00pm EDT

2024 Intercollegiate Poetry Showcase | Future In Verse: Spotlighting the Voices of Young Poets as Glimpses into the Future
Thursday April 11, 2024 7:00pm - 9:30pm EDT
Every year, Mass Poetry brings together professor-nominated undergraduate poets from over 15 colleges in the Greater Boston area. With a professor or faculty’s guidance in practicing and revising a poem, one young artist from each institution will perform an original set at our intercollegiate showcase. The event will include a keynote address from local Boston poet, Diannely Antigua, about developing craft, navigating life as a working artist, and understanding the larger role and responsibilities of poets in illustrating our shared future.

Mass Poetry will publish an accumulative anthology featuring pieces written by every student participant, which will be released at the post-show reception. The reception will be catered and include photo ops. This is a wonderful chance for college poets to build connections with peers, learn more about the post-grad artist life, gain performance experience, and have an original work published! We look forward to coming together with our university partners to celebrate, and we offer our thanks to Boston College, the former home of this program.

Join us April 11th to celebrate the voices of our future!
Thursday April 11, 2024 7:00pm - 9:30pm EDT
GrubStreet Center for Creative Writing
 
Friday, April 12
 

7:00pm EDT

Erika Meitner, author of Useful Junk, and Sarah Matthes, author of Town Crier, at Porter Square Books: Cambridge Edition
Friday April 12, 2024 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
TBA
Just in time for National Poetry Month, Porter Square Books is delighted to welcome poets Erika Meitner and Sarah Matthes for a joint reading from their latest collections. Hear from Meitner's Useful Junk, lauded as "tragicomic-erotic-nostalgic with a twist of existential dread and a cherry of wit on top" and Matthes' Town Crier, a collection of Kabbalistic poems that recognize wit as a ritual of mourning and the winner of the 2020 Lexi Rudnitsky First Book Prize.
Readers/Speakers

Friday April 12, 2024 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
TBA
 
Saturday, April 13
 

2:00pm EDT

Dear Friend, Let's Meet: A Roaming Poetry Reading
Saturday April 13, 2024 2:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
Join poet and Artist-in-Residence, Carolyn Oliver, for a celebratory outdoor reading of poems composed during her residency.  

We will begin in Bigelow Chapel with an introduction and brief Q&A between Carolyn and Public Events Producer, Julie-Anne Whitney. Then we’ll make our way outdoors together for a multi-stop reading tour during which Carolyn will read several poems in the locations that inspired them.

Check-in will be at Bigelow Chapel. After the Roaming Reading, we’ll return to Bigelow Chapel for an audience Q&A with the poet.

Event Capacity: 35 people
Saturday April 13, 2024 2:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
Mount Auburn Cemetery
 
Monday, April 15
 

7:30pm EDT

Natasha Trethewey and Megan Fernandes : Robert Lowell Memorial Lecture Series
Monday April 15, 2024 7:30pm - 8:30pm EDT
Reception to follow at BU Castle
Monday April 15, 2024 7:30pm - 8:30pm EDT
Leventhal Center Auditorium
 
Friday, April 19
 

4:00pm EDT

The Liminal Reading Series
Friday April 19, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
Readers/Speakers
Friday April 19, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
MIT Press Bookstore
 
Saturday, April 20
 

7:00pm EDT

Hybrid Reading Series: Rebecca Kaiser Gibson and Fred Marchant
Saturday April 20, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Please join us for our reading with Rebecca Kaiser Gibson and Fred Merchant. 

Please provide proof of vaccination at the door. Masks are required for the duration of the event.

To register to attend on Zoom, go here: http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07ej31qnr71575a7af&llr=6hztvkcab
Saturday April 20, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Grolier Poetry Bookshop
 
Sunday, April 21
 

7:00pm EDT

Kemi Alabi, author of Against Heaven, with Porsha Olayiwola
Sunday April 21, 2024 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
TBA
Porter Square Books is delighted to welcome Kemi Alabi for Against Heaven, called "a stunning debut from one of our most talented emerging voices". Joined in conversation by poet laureate for the city of Boston Porsha Olayiwola, Alabi will discuss magic, portals, spells, and altered states in their poetry. This event is free and open to all, hosted virtually via Crowdcast on Thursday, April 21 at 7pm.
Winner of the Academy of American Poets First Book Award, selected by Claudia Rankine.

Kemi Alabi’s transcendent debut reimagines the poetic and cultural traditions from which it is born, troubling the waters of some of our country’s central and ordained fictions—those mythic politics of respectability, resilience, and redemption. Instead of turning to a salvation that has been forced upon them, Alabi turns to the body and the earth as sites of paradise defined by the pleasure and possibility of Black, queer fugitivity. Through tender love poems, righteous prayers, and vital provocations, we see the colonizers we carry within ourselves being laid to rest.
Readers/Speakers
avatar for Porsha Olayiwola

Porsha Olayiwola

Porsha Olayiwola is the 2014 Individual World Poetry Slam Champion and 2015 National Poetry Slam Champion. She bested more than seventy of the highest ranked slam poets in the world to earn these titles and is now one of the most sought after spoken word artists on the national circuit... Read More →

Sunday April 21, 2024 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
TBA

7:00pm EDT

Changeable Gods - Richard Wollman - Book Launch
Sunday April 21, 2024 7:00pm - 8:30pm EDT
Please join the Department of Literature & Writing and Sidelines Magazine to celebrate the book launch of Changeable Gods, Richard Wollman's new poetry collection, winner of the Elyse Wolf Prize from Slate Roof Press. There will be an introduction by Alfred Nicol, Q&A, and wine and hors d'oeuvres after the reading.

This event will be both in-person and on Zoom.
Readers/Speakers
Sunday April 21, 2024 7:00pm - 8:30pm EDT
Trustman Gallery Simmons College
 
Tuesday, April 23
 

7:00pm EDT

Omar Sakr, George Abraham, Chen Chen, and moira j
Tuesday April 23, 2024 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
n The Lost Arabs, Award-winning Arab Australian poet Omar Sakr presents a pulsating collection of poetry that interrogates the bonds and borders of family, faith, queerness, and nationality.

George Abraham’s highly anticipated debut Birthright constructs a dialogue in which “every pronoun is a Free Palestine.” Through poems of immense emotion, and the use of alluring form, Abraham crafts work that examines what we come to own by existing.

Chen Chen’s award-winning debut, When I Grow Up I Want to Be a List of Further Possibilities, interrogates the fragile, inherited ways of approaching love and family from Asian American, immigrant, and queer perspectives.

Bury Me in Thunder, the full-length debut by moira j., is an eviscerating collection, suffused with nature, ceremony, and pain. Delivering an unflinching look into the consumption of Indigenous people, this collection sheds new light on the colonization of North America and how trauma is carried through intergenerational memory.

Omar Sakr is a bisexual Muslim poet born and raised in Western Sydney to Lebanese and Turkish migrants. His debut collection These Wild Houses (2017) was shortlisted for the Judith Wright Calanthe Award and the Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry. Omar’s poems have been published in English, Arabic, and Spanish, featuring or forthcoming in the American Academy of Poets Poem-A-Day series, Prairie Schooner, The Margins, Tinderbox, Wildness, Peril, Circulo de Poesía, Overland, Meanjin, and Antic, among others. Anthologized in Best Australian Poems 2016 and in Contemporary Australian Poetry, he is the 2019 recipient of the Edward Stanley Award for Poetry.

George Abraham is a Palestinian American poet from Jacksonville, Florida. They are the author of Birthright (Button Poetry, 2020), and the chapbooks: the specimen’s apology (Sibling Rivalry Press, 2019) and al youm (TAR, 2017). He is a Kundiman and Watering Hole fellow, and recipient of the College Union Poetry Slam International’s Best Poet title. Their work has been published with the Paris Review, American Poetry Review, LitHub, Poem-A-Day, and Bettering American Poetry. He is currently based in Massachusetts, where he is a PhD candidate in Bioengineering at Harvard University.

Chen Chen was born in Xiamen, China, and grew up in Massachusetts. His work has appeared in two chapbooks and in such publications as Poetry, Gulf Coast, Indiana Review, Best of the Net, and The Best American Poetry. The recipient of the 2016 A. Poulin, Jr. Poetry Prize, he has been awarded fellowships from Kundiman, the Saltonstall Foundation, Lambda Literary, and in 2015, he was a finalist for the Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships. He earned his BA at Hampshire College and his MFA at Syracuse University. Currently, he is pursuing a PhD in English and Creative Writing at Texas Tech University. Chen lives in Lubbock, Texas, with his partner, Jeff Gilbert, and their pug dog, Rupert Giles.

moira j. is an agender writer of Dził Łigai Si’an N’dee descent. They are the winner of the 2018 Pacific Spirit Poetry Prize and are Frontier Poetry’s 2019 Frontier New Voices Fellow. moira j.’s writing examines narratives of indigeneity, queerness, gender, sex, kinship, and illness. Their work has been featured with many publications, including The Shallow Ends, WILDNESS, and PRISM International. They currently live with their partner in the occupied Massachusett homelands of Nutohkemminnit (Greater Boston, Massachusetts).

https://www.brooklinebooksmith.com/events/2020-04/omar-sakr-george-abraham-ad-chen-chen/
Tuesday April 23, 2024 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Brookline Booksmith
 
Wednesday, April 24
 

7:00pm EDT

Memorial Reading for Jane Kenyon
Wednesday April 24, 2024 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
TBA
Wednesday April 24, 2024 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
TBA

7:00pm EDT

Rozzie Reads Poetry and Open Microphone
Wednesday April 24, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Free event. After featured readers, a break for refreshments followed by open mic. On-street parking and in unnumbered spaces, as well as at rear of building,.
Readers/Speakers
Wednesday April 24, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Roslindale House
 
Friday, April 26
 

6:00pm EDT

Christine Casson and Rita Ciresi
Friday April 26, 2024 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Readers/Speakers
Friday April 26, 2024 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
I Am Books

7:00pm EDT

April U35-U18
Friday April 26, 2024 7:00pm - 8:30pm EDT

To kick off our poetry programming at GrubStreet's new Center for Creative Writing, and in honor of National Poetry Month, we are bringing some of Boston's best youth voices to the Seaport for a night of words and music. You won't want to miss this one-of-a-kind, U35 through U18 extravaganza!
Friday April 26, 2024 7:00pm - 8:30pm EDT
GrubStreet's Center for Creative Writing
 
Sunday, April 28
 

5:00pm EDT

Robert M. Gay Memorial Lecture — Poetry Reading with Martín Espada
Sunday April 28, 2024 5:00pm - 7:00pm EDT
Martín Espada, winner of the 2021 National Book Award for Poetry, will read from Floaters, his remarkable book. Cyrus Cassells: "...Espada is a fierce activist in verse, decrying, with accuracy and urgency, the depravity of inhumane detention and acute bigotry. One of America's most indelible voices, as always, Espada's poetry is lionhearted."

This event will be both in-person and on Zoom.
Sunday April 28, 2024 5:00pm - 7:00pm EDT
Linda K. Paresky Conference Center at Simmons University 300 The Fenway 3rd Floor, Main College Building Boston, MA 02115
 
Monday, April 29
 

5:30pm EDT

Read and Write PoeTREE with Fay Ferency, Jess Rizkallah, and Letta Neely
Monday April 29, 2024 5:30pm - 7:00pm EDT
Join writers Fay Ferency, Jess Rizkallah, and Letta Neely as they read aloud their nature and tree-centered poetry and guide participants in a brief poetry writing workshop. Participants will then have the opportunity to head outdoors, craft their own tree-inspired poetry, and share their creations with the rest of the group, all alongside the assistance of the writers. Registration requested, but walk-ups are welcome.

This event is brought to you in partnership with Boston Seaport by WS Development.
Monday April 29, 2024 5:30pm - 7:00pm EDT
111 Harbor Way

6:30pm EDT

Berklee Slam Poetry!
Monday April 29, 2024 6:30pm - 8:00pm EDT
Slam poetry fire, featuring the poetic stylings of the Spoken Word and Slam Poetry classes.
Monday April 29, 2024 6:30pm - 8:00pm EDT
Oliver Colvin Recital Hall (1W)
 
Tuesday, April 30
 

1:00pm EDT

Soul: An Ancestor Workshop w/ Marlanda Dekine
Tuesday April 30, 2024 1:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Led by poet and Castle of our Skins’ Shirley Graham Du Bois Creative in Residence Marlanda Dekine, this participatory workshop will use writing and meditation to consider how our individual origin stories and ancestries influence our being.

Readers/Speakers
Tuesday April 30, 2024 1:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Arnold Arboretum

6:00pm EDT

 
Wednesday, May 1
 

6:00pm EDT

HERE ALL NIGHT: POETRY & COCKTAILS
Wednesday May 1, 2024 6:00pm - 7:00pm EDT
Registration is requested

Members $20 and Non-members $30
Here All Night: Poetry & Cocktailswith Jill McDonough

Join acclaimed poet Jill McDonough for a night of poetry and themed cocktails. Her latest collection is a fiercely unapologetic, transforming mundane moments into witty and provocative insights that closely examine the flaws in our quick-moving society. Using dark humor, the poems address the impermanence of life and how we should always find reasons to re-evaluate ourselves as empathetic beings over our selfish tendencies.
Jill McDonough is the author of Habeas Corpus (Salt, 2008), Oh, James! (Seven Kitchens, 2012), Where You Live (Salt, 2012), Reaper (Alice James, 2017), and Here All Night (Alice James, 2019). The recipient of three Pushcart prizes and fellowships from the Lannan Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Fine Arts Work Center, the New York Public Library, the Library of Congress, and Stanford’s Stegner program, she taught incarcerated college students through Boston University’s Prison Education Program for thirteen years.  Her work has appeared in Poetry, Slate, The Nation, The Threepenny Review, and Best American Poetry.  She teaches in the MFA program at UMass-Boston and offers College Reading and Writing at a Boston jail. Her website is jillmcdonough.com.
Wednesday May 1, 2024 6:00pm - 7:00pm EDT
Boston Athenæum
 
Friday, May 3
 

6:00pm EDT

Write Here | Write Now | Speak Loud! Teen Spoken Word Festival
Friday May 3, 2024 6:00pm - Sunday May 5, 2024 7:00pm EDT
Mass Poetry is hosting its first ever Teen Spoken Word Festival, Write Here | Write Now | Speak Loud! on May 3-5, 2024 in Boston, MA. The Festival will take place in multiple locations around Boston’s Seaport District, as a means of encouraging youth to access and explore this part of the city. Our goal is to offer a space for young people to feel a sense of community centered around written and spoken word. Young people have so much to say and we want to hear it!

The weekend festival will kick off on Friday May 3rd with an opening showcase ceremony featuring Tim Hall, Brandy Blaze, José Olivarez, and Melissa Lozada-Oliva. After an exciting night of remarks and performances, teens will take the stage. Saturday, May 4th, will be a full day of Teen Team Slam competition, along with a series of non-competitive activities including open mics, workshops, and more! The day will close with the Team Finals, where a winner will be announced, followed by a dance party at the ICA. On Sunday, May 5th, a Post High School Resource Fair will be held for young poets to explore ways of continuing their creative practices beyond high school involvement. The Independent Finals will follow into the afternoon, and the festival will conclude with closing remarks.   

In the months leading up to the festival, Mass Poetry and partnering organizations will be putting on a series of individual preliminary slams, culminating in the Individual Slam Finals hosted on Sunday afternoon. The six winning poets will be invited to join Mass Poetry’s team to compete at the Brave New Voices Festival in Washington D.C. on July 17-21. 
Friday May 3, 2024 6:00pm - Sunday May 5, 2024 7:00pm EDT
GrubStreet Center for Creative Writing

7:00pm EDT

Joint Reading with Jeffrey Yang with Fanny Howe
Friday May 3, 2024 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Porter Square Books is thrilled to partner with Mass Poetry in welcoming Jeffrey Yang and Fanny Howe for a reading and conversation about the poets' latest works! Hear from Line and Light, a multifaceted collection by Jeffrey Yang, whose poetry is “flexible, expansive, sonorously clever” (The Millions), and Indivisible, the conclusion of a radically philosophical and personal series of Fanny Howe novels animated by questions of race, spirituality, childhood, transience, resistance, and poverty.
Readers/Speakers
Friday May 3, 2024 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
GrubStreet Center for Creative Writing
 
Wednesday, May 8
 

8:00pm EDT

Boston Poetry Slam
Wednesday May 8, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EDT
The Boston Poetry Slam holds a weekly show every Wednesday downstairs at the Cantab Lounge. This is the flagship show of the Boston Poetry Slam and the entire night is devoted to the craft, performance, and enjoyment of poetry.
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. If you want to read, come early, and be sure to read our Entry Line & Sign Up Rules.
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.
For directions and parking, click here. For more information about how to ensure yourself a seat or a spot on the open mic, see our FAQ.
Wednesday May 8, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EDT
Cantab Lounge 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
 
Sunday, May 12
 

7:00pm EDT

Poetry Open Mic Night at Trident
Sunday May 12, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Join us for a fun evening of open mic poetry! We invite you to bring your own works and perform them in front of a supportive crowd. There's no better place to find your voice and share it with the world! 
The sign-up list opens at 6:30 pm in the upstairs cafe and the mic opens at 7:00pm.
  • Seating is first come, first served! 
  • Each open mic slot gets you about three minutes of stage time.
  • No need to memorize your work - just be comfortable and have fun!
  • If you read someone else’s work, give credit where due. 
  • Above all, show kindness to all. No hate speech, slurs, or sexually explicit language. 
Got a question? Shoot us an e-mail!
Sunday May 12, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Trident Booksellers & Cafe
 
Wednesday, May 15
 

8:00pm EDT

Boston Poetry Slam
Wednesday May 15, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EDT
The Boston Poetry Slam holds a weekly show every Wednesday downstairs at the Cantab Lounge. This is the flagship show of the Boston Poetry Slam and the entire night is devoted to the craft, performance, and enjoyment of poetry.
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. If you want to read, come early, and be sure to read our Entry Line & Sign Up Rules.
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.
For directions and parking, click here. For more information about how to ensure yourself a seat or a spot on the open mic, see our FAQ.
Wednesday May 15, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EDT
Cantab Lounge 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
 
Thursday, May 16
 

7:00pm EDT

Third Thursday Poetry: Miriam Levine, Tom Driscoll, Matthew Sisson
Thursday May 16, 2024 7:00pm - 8:30pm EDT

Miriam Levine is the author of Forget about Sleep, her sixth poetry collection, winner of the 2023 Laura Boss Narrative Poetry Award. Another collection, The Dark Opens, was chosen by Mark Doty for the Autumn House Poetry Prize. Other books include: Devotion, a memoir; In Paterson, a novel. Her work has appeared in American Poetry Review, The Kenyon Review, The Paris Review, and Ploughshares. Levine, a winner of a Pushcart Prize, is a fellow of the NEA and a grantee of the Massachusetts Artists Foundation. She lives in Florida and New Hampshire. For more information about her work, please go to miriamlevine.com.

Tom Driscoll is a poet, columnist, and essayist who lives and works in Lowell, Massachusetts with his wife, artist Denise Driscoll. The Champion of Doubt published summer 2023 from Finishing Line Press. PW/Booklife said about the book, “...amid the brutal truth telling, an adhesive connects all the stories, memories, and confessions: love. In Citizen Cain, Driscoll writes “Once you’ve been broken there is a different tenderness” and it’s this that allows love to thrive for the damaged person, the damaged country, the damaged world.” Driscoll’s poetry has appeared in Oddball Magazine, Carcosa Review, Scapegoat, Paterson Literary Review, and The Worcester Review.

Matthew Sisson’s poetry has appeared in journals ranging from the Harvard Review Online, to “JAMA The Journal of the American Medical Association.” He has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and read his work on NPR’s “On Point.” His book, Please, Call Me Moby, was published by The Pecan Grove Press, of St. Mary’s University, San Antonio, Texas.
Thursday May 16, 2024 7:00pm - 8:30pm EDT
Brookline Booksmith
 
Saturday, May 18
 

3:00pm EDT

Arrowsmith Press: Spring 2020 Book Launch
Saturday May 18, 2024 3:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
Our writers will be reading from Arrowsmith's Spring 2020 publications:


Peter Balakian is the author of 8 books of poems, 4 books of prose, 3 collaborative translations and several edited books. “No Sign,” is the title poem of Balakian’s forthcoming book of poems. Ozone Journal won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for poetry, Black Dog of Fate, a memoir won the 1998 PEN/Martha Albrand Prize for the Art of the Memoir; The Burning Tigris: The Armenian Genocide and America’s Response won the 2005 Raphael Lemkin Prize. His collaborative translations include two books by Grigoris Balakian: Armenian Golgotha: A Memoir of the Armenian Genocide and The Ruins of Ani. Among his other books of prose is Vice and Shadow: Essays on the Lyric Imagination, Poetry, Art, and Culture. His work has been translated into more than a dozen languages. Balakian is the recipient of many awards and prizes and civic citations including the Presidential Medal from the Republic of Armenia, Guggenheim and NEA Fellowships, The Spendlove Prize for Social Justice, Tolerance, and Diplomacy, and The Emily Clark Balch Prize for poetry from the Virginia Quarterly Review. He is Donald M. and Constance H. Rebar Professor of the Humanities in the department of English and Director of Creative Writing at Colgate University.

Scott Harney (1955-2019) was a practicing poet who, aside from a few early publications in the Somerville Community News, did not publish during his lifetime, leaving a significant body of work to be discovered by readers after his death. He grew up in and around Boston, graduating from Charlestown High School and Harvard College. His literary influences include Robert Lowell and Jane Shore, with whom he studied at Harvard in the 1970s, as well as Richard Hugo and Philip Levine.

Megan Marshall is the winner of the 2014 Pulitzer Prize in Biography for Margaret Fuller. She is also the author of The Peabody Sisters, which won the Francis Parkman Prize, the Mark Lynton History Prize and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2006, and 2017's Elizabeth Bishop: A Miracle for Breakfast. She is the Charles Wesley Emerson College Professor and teaches narrative nonfiction and the art of archival research in the MFA program at Emerson College.

Kythe Heller is a poet, essayist, multimedia artist, and scholar who received an MDiv at Harvard Divinity School and is currently completing a doctorate at Harvard University in Comparative Religion and Arts and Media Practice. She is also a practitioner of Sufism and a student of M.R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen. Her published work includes two poetry chapbooks, Immolation (Monk Honey) and Thunder (Wick: Harvard Divinity School), the philosophical monograph “An Ethnography of Spirituality” (Cambridge UP), an essay in the anthology Quo Anima: spirituality and innovation in contemporary women’s poetry (Akron Series in Contemporary Poetics), and poems and essays published in American Poetry Review, Tricycle, The Southern Review, and elsewhere. Her work has been supported by grants and fellowships from Harvard University, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, The Mellon Foundation, The MacDowell Colony, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, Vermont Studio Center, and Squaw Valley Community of Writers. While completing an MFA at Sarah Lawrence College, she created a literacy and creative arts program at the Coachman Family Homeless Shelter in White Plains, New York; she has also worked and taught through the Bard Prison Initiative, Janus Youth Shelters, Bradley-Angle Women’s Shelter, and Yellow Brick Road Street Outreach; currently she is a teaching fellow at Harvard University and on the faculty of the Language and Thinking Program at Bard College. In 2017, she founded VISION LAB, a collective of creatives working across spirituality, the arts, social and environmental justice, and technology.

Winner of Arrowsmith's Ramaswamy Prize, Oksana Zabuzhko is one of Ukraine’s best known and most important public intellectuals. Her controversial novel, Field Work in Ukrainian Sex, is widely regarded as a contemporary classic and has been translated into more than a dozen languages. Her most recent novel, Museum of Abandoned Secrets, explores the untold stories of Soviet life in the second half of the twentieth century. Zabuzhko has been a Fulbright scholar, and has taught Ukrainian literature at Penn State, Pittsburgh University, and Harvard. Her book Notre-dame d’Ukraine is a cultural study focused on the work of the fin-de-siecle writer Lesia Ukrainka. Founding editor of Komora Publishers, she works at the Hryhori Skovoroda Institute of Philosophy at the National Academy of Sciences in Ukraine.
Readers/Speakers
Saturday May 18, 2024 3:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
First Parish Church
 
Wednesday, May 22
 

8:00pm EDT

Boston Poetry Slam
Wednesday May 22, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EDT
The Boston Poetry Slam holds a weekly show every Wednesday downstairs at the Cantab Lounge. This is the flagship show of the Boston Poetry Slam and the entire night is devoted to the craft, performance, and enjoyment of poetry.
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. If you want to read, come early, and be sure to read our Entry Line & Sign Up Rules.
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.
For directions and parking, click here. For more information about how to ensure yourself a seat or a spot on the open mic, see our FAQ.
Wednesday May 22, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EDT
Cantab Lounge 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
 
Sunday, May 26
 

7:00pm EDT

Poetry Open Mic Night at Trident
Sunday May 26, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Join us for a fun evening of open mic poetry! We invite you to bring your own works and perform them in front of a supportive crowd. There's no better place to find your voice and share it with the world! 
The sign-up list opens at 6:30 pm in the upstairs cafe and the mic opens at 7:00pm.
  • Seating is first come, first served! 
  • Each open mic slot gets you about three minutes of stage time.
  • No need to memorize your work - just be comfortable and have fun!
  • If you read someone else’s work, give credit where due. 
  • Above all, show kindness to all. No hate speech, slurs, or sexually explicit language. 
Got a question? Shoot us an e-mail!
Sunday May 26, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Trident Booksellers & Cafe

7:00pm EDT

Lizard Lounge Poetry Slam
Sunday May 26, 2024 7:00pm - 10:00pm EDT
The doors open at 7:00 pm every Sunday, and we start with our “Poetry Slam.” The “Featured Poet” will start roughly at 8:30 pm, accompanied by the Blake Newman Group. After the Featured Poet, we have our “Open Mic,” also accompanied by the Blake Newman Group. There’s a $10 cover charge, and the Lizard Lounge is a 21+ venue.
Sunday May 26, 2024 7:00pm - 10:00pm EDT
The Lizard Lounge
 
Wednesday, May 29
 

8:00pm EDT

Boston Poetry Slam
Wednesday May 29, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EDT
The Boston Poetry Slam holds a weekly show every Wednesday downstairs at the Cantab Lounge. This is the flagship show of the Boston Poetry Slam and the entire night is devoted to the craft, performance, and enjoyment of poetry.
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. If you want to read, come early, and be sure to read our Entry Line & Sign Up Rules.
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.
For directions and parking, click here. For more information about how to ensure yourself a seat or a spot on the open mic, see our FAQ.
Wednesday May 29, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EDT
Cantab Lounge 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
 
Sunday, June 2
 

7:00pm EDT

Poetry Open Mic Night at Trident
Sunday June 2, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Join us for a fun evening of open mic poetry! We invite you to bring your own works and perform them in front of a supportive crowd. There's no better place to find your voice and share it with the world! 
The sign-up list opens at 6:30 pm in the upstairs cafe and the mic opens at 7:00pm.
  • Seating is first come, first served! 
  • Each open mic slot gets you about three minutes of stage time.
  • No need to memorize your work - just be comfortable and have fun!
  • If you read someone else’s work, give credit where due. 
  • Above all, show kindness to all. No hate speech, slurs, or sexually explicit language. 
Got a question? Shoot us an e-mail!
Sunday June 2, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Trident Booksellers & Cafe

7:00pm EDT

Lizard Lounge Poetry Slam
Sunday June 2, 2024 7:00pm - 10:30pm EDT
The doors open at 7:00 pm every Sunday, and we start with our “Poetry Slam.” The “Featured Poet” will start roughly at 8:30 pm, accompanied by the Blake Newman Group. After the Featured Poet, we have our “Open Mic,” also accompanied by the Blake Newman Group. There’s a $10 cover charge, and the Lizard Lounge is a 21+ venue.

Sunday June 2, 2024 7:00pm - 10:30pm EDT
The Lizard Lounge
 
Wednesday, June 5
 

8:00pm EDT

Boston Poetry Slam
Wednesday June 5, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EDT
The Boston Poetry Slam holds a weekly show every Wednesday downstairs at the Cantab Lounge. This is the flagship show of the Boston Poetry Slam and the entire night is devoted to the craft, performance, and enjoyment of poetry.
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. If you want to read, come early, and be sure to read our Entry Line & Sign Up Rules.
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.
For directions and parking, click here. For more information about how to ensure yourself a seat or a spot on the open mic, see our FAQ.
Wednesday June 5, 2024 8:00pm - 11:00pm EDT
Cantab Lounge 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
 
Sunday, June 9
 

7:00pm EDT

Lizard Lounge Poetry Slam
Sunday June 9, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
The doors open at 7:00 pm every Sunday, and we start with our “Poetry Slam.” The “Featured Poet” will start roughly at 8:30 pm, accompanied by the Blake Newman Group. After the Featured Poet, we have our “Open Mic,” also accompanied by the Blake Newman Group. There’s a $10 cover charge, and the Lizard Lounge is a 21+ venue.
Sunday June 9, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
The Lizard Lounge

7:00pm EDT

Poetry Open Mic Night at Trident
Sunday June 9, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Join us for a fun evening of open mic poetry! We invite you to bring your own works and perform them in front of a supportive crowd. There's no better place to find your voice and share it with the world! 
The sign-up list opens at 6:30 pm in the upstairs cafe and the mic opens at 7:00pm.
  • Seating is first come, first served! 
  • Each open mic slot gets you about three minutes of stage time.
  • No need to memorize your work - just be comfortable and have fun!
  • If you read someone else’s work, give credit where due. 
  • Above all, show kindness to all. No hate speech, slurs, or sexually explicit language. 
Got a question? Shoot us an e-mail!
Sunday June 9, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Trident Booksellers & Cafe
 
Monday, June 10
 

6:00pm EDT

Lit Crawl: Mass Poetry Presents Poems To Go featuring the Traveling Poetry Emporium
Monday June 10, 2024 6:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Get your quick poetry fix! Mass Poetry presents the Traveling Poetry Emporium: poets Cassandra de Alba and Julia Story will offer poems-to-order on your subject, composed right before your eyes. Visitors to this booth can name any topic—large or small, real or imagined, object-specific or broadly thematic. One of the Emporium's poets will compose an original poem on your topic within five minutes, typed on a manual Hermes typewriter. The poet will read the poem aloud before handing you the only existing copy of the poem, which is yours to keep. Come with five minutes and leave with a one-of-a-kind made-to-order poem!

About LitCrawl
Lit Crawl features more than a dozen separate readings, performances, and interactive
games—all held outdoors in some of Cambridge’s hippest restaurant patios and performance
venues. This year’s event will have all of the quirky and unexpected fun that Lit Crawl attendees
have come to expect, but in order to manage capacities at our host venues, we need to institute
some new policies this year. These include requiring registration (free through Eventbrite for
events at Starlight Square, $15 for events at restaurants) for all events unless otherwise noted--
attendees must register separately for each session. The full schedule and registration link can be found here: https://bostonbookfest.org/year-round-events/lit-crawl-boston/

The Traveling Poetry Emporium Poets
Cassandra de Alba is a poet living in Massachusetts. Her chapbooks are habitats (Horse Less Press, 2016), Ugly/Sad (Glass Poetry Press, 2020) and Cryptids (Ginger Bug Press, 2020). Her work has appeared in The Shallow Ends, Big Lucks, and Wax Nine, among other publications. She is a poetry reader for Underblong and an instructor at the Redbud Writing Project.

Julia Story is the author of Post Moxie (Sarabande Books) and the chapbooks The Trapdoor (dancing girl press) and Julie the Astonishing (Sixth Finch Books). She is a 2016 recipient of a Pushcart Prize and her recent work can be read in Sixth Finch, Tinderbox, and Tupelo Quarterly. She is a Midwesterner who now lives in Massachusetts.

Monday June 10, 2024 6:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Starlight Square

7:00pm EDT

Daniel Johnson & Anthony Febo
Monday June 10, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Anthony Febo is a Puerto Rican poet, artist, and new dad living in Malden, MA. Febo has been performing and teaching poetry and theatre for over a decade in the greater Boston area. He was featured as part of WBUR’s The ARTery 25 as an artist to watch. In the classroom, Febo treats each workshop as it’s own celebration. He draws on his experiences from his time in theatre spaces, museums, non-profits, and art centers. On the stage, he has toured the country individually and as half of Adobo-Fish-Sauce: a cooking and poetry collaboration. His work examines what it means to actively choose joy in the face of what is trying to break you. Weaving performance into his writing, he examines issues such as toxic masculinity, family, culture, identity, and the role representation plays into a person’s development. His first full length book of poetry, Becoming an Island, can be purchased at Game Over Books. Visit him online at https://www.thisisfebo.com and https://adobofishsauce.com.

Daniel Johnson is the author of How to Catch a Falling Knife, published by Alice James Books. In 2018, he was commissioned to compose lines of poetry for the twin memorials honoring those killed and wounded in the Boston Marathon bombings. His writing has appeared in Tin House, The Iowa Review, The Best American Poetry, Boston Review, jubilat, and elsewhere. He recently completed his second volume of poems, Shadow Act, an Elegy for American Journalist James Foley. He currently serves as the executive director of Mass Poetry.

Registration link:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcqcOmqqD8qH9TCLl0s1RWEaXIjjlFt27wC


Facebook event:
https://www.facebook.com/events/752107948763238

Readers/Speakers
avatar for Febo

Febo

Anthony Febo is a poet, actor, youth worker, lover and friend. He founded the adult slam poetry scene in the city that birthed and raised him, Lowell, MA. He also co founded FreeVerse! a organization that works with Lowell's youth to better understand themselves through poetry. He... Read More →
Monday June 10, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Menino Arts Center
 
Wednesday, June 12
 

3:00pm EDT

Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site & New England Poetry Club
Wednesday June 12, 2024 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
Magdalena Gómez is the Poet Laureate of Springfield, MA and a Poetry Fellow of the Academy of American Poets. Her poetry collection, Shameless Woman, (Red Sugarcane Press, NYC) is studied in Latinx curricula throughout the U.S. Her ground-breaking memoir noir, M’ija, will be released in hardcover in spring of 2022 by Heliotrope Books, NYC.

Enzo Silon Surin is a Haitian-born award-winning poet, educator, publisher and social advocate. He is the author of three collections of poetry, including When My Body Was A Clinched Fist (Black Lawrence Press, 2020) and A Letter of Resignation: An American Libretto (2017). He is Founding Editor and Publisher at Central Square Press and President/Executive Director at the Faraday Publishing Company, Inc. The Longfellow Summer Festival brings music, poetry, and community to the East Lawn of the Longfellow House on Sunday afternoons through the summer.

The 2022 Summer Festival will kick off on Sunday, June 5. All events are free and open to the public. Just bring a picnic blanket or lawn chair! The series is co-sponsored by the Friends of Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters and the New England Poetry Club.
Readers/Speakers
avatar for Enzo Silon Surin

Enzo Silon Surin

Editor/Publisher, Central Square Press
Enzo Silon Surin is a Haitian-born poet, publisher, advocate and author of the chapbook Higher Ground (Finishing Line Press). He was recognized in 2015 by PEN New England (New England’s chapter of PEN American Center) as a Celebrated New Voice in Poetry. His work has appeared in... Read More →
Wednesday June 12, 2024 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site
 
Saturday, June 15
 

3:00pm EDT

Poetry & Music for Palestine
Saturday June 15, 2024 3:00pm - 6:00pm EDT

Join local artists who want to make a difference! Let's come together through poetry, music, and community action to raise money for Middle East Children's Alliance, which provides emergency assistance to families who have fled their homes to seek shelter with relatives as well as procuring emergency medical supplies for hospitals and clinics, with an emphasis on the Gaza area.
Saturday June 15, 2024 3:00pm - 6:00pm EDT
The Footlight Club
 
Sunday, June 16
 

7:00pm EDT

Poetry Open Mic Night at Trident
Sunday June 16, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Join us for a fun evening of open mic poetry! We invite you to bring your own works and perform them in front of a supportive crowd. There's no better place to find your voice and share it with the world! 
The sign-up list opens at 6:30 pm in the upstairs cafe and the mic opens at 7:00pm.
  • Seating is first come, first served! 
  • Each open mic slot gets you about three minutes of stage time.
  • No need to memorize your work - just be comfortable and have fun!
  • If you read someone else’s work, give credit where due. 
  • Above all, show kindness to all. No hate speech, slurs, or sexually explicit language. 
Got a question? Shoot us an e-mail!
Sunday June 16, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Trident Booksellers & Cafe

7:00pm EDT

Lizard Lounge Poetry Slam
Sunday June 16, 2024 7:00pm - 10:30pm EDT
The doors open at 7:00 pm every Sunday, and we start with our “Poetry Slam.” The “Featured Poet” will start roughly at 8:30 pm, accompanied by the Blake Newman Group. After the Featured Poet, we have our “Open Mic,” also accompanied by the Blake Newman Group. There’s a $10 cover charge, and the Lizard Lounge is a 21+ venue.
Sunday June 16, 2024 7:00pm - 10:30pm EDT
The Lizard Lounge
 
Tuesday, June 18
 

7:30pm EDT

Her Voice Among the Aisles: A Celebration of Emily Dickinson through Poetry & Song
Tuesday June 18, 2024 7:30pm - 9:00pm EDT
Emily Dickinson is largely considered one of the leading poetic voices of the 19th century. Her words have inspired many composers who have set her words to music. Annina Hsieh (soprano) and Judy Park (piano) will perform selections from Aaron Copland’s playful, tragic, personal, perennial, and ethereal song cycle Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson, as well as settings of Dickinson’s verse by other American composers. Poets Tom Daley and Cammy Thomas will recite and provide insights into the power, nuance, and beauty of Dickinson’s poetic vision.

Annina Hsieh is a Boston-based soprano and educator. Praised for her sensitivity as a performer, Hsieh strives to connect with audiences in opera and recital settings, and was the 2019 winner of the Handel and Haydn Society’s Barbara E. Maze Award for Musical Excellence. She completed her Master of Music in Voice Performance at Cleveland Institute of Music, and her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance at Ithaca College.

Leona Cheung is a Boston-based collaborative pianist. Her deep devotion to Art Song repertoire has brought her to perform in the Oxford Lieder Festival, Leeds Lieder Festival, Toronto Summer Music Festival, Franz Schubert Institut and Songfest. She earned her Master of Music and Graduate Diploma in Collaborative Piano from New England Conservatory, and a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from Hong Kong Baptist University.

Tom Daley is the author of the play Every Broom and Bridget—Emily Dickinson and Her Irish Servants. Tom leads workshops in poetry and in memoir writing at Lexington Community Education and elsewhere. Recipient of the Dana Award in Poetry his poetry has appeared in Harvard Review, Massachusetts Review, 32 Poems, Fence, Denver Quarterly, Crazyhorse, Barrow Street, Rhino, Prairie Schooner, Witness, and Poetry Ireland Review. Regarding his poetry collection House You Cannot Reach, Lloyd Schwartz writes, "Every line here, even—and maybe especially—in the poignant poems “spoken” by the poet’s mother, radiates his love of poetry."

Cammy Thomas’ first book of poems, Cathedral of Wish, received the 2006 Norma Farber First Book Award from the Poetry Society of America. A fellowship from the Ragdale Foundation helped her complete her second book, Inscriptions. Her third book, Tremors, came out in 2021. Her poems have recently appeared in Amsterdam Quarterly, The Poetry Porch, New Orleans Review, and Poet Lore. Far Past War, a choral setting of her poems composed by her sister, Augusta Read Thomas, premiered at Washington’s National Cathedral on March 13, 2022. She lives in Bolton, MA.
Readers/Speakers
avatar for Tom Daley

Tom Daley

Instructor, Tom Daley Workshops
I lead workshops in poetry and memoir writing at community and adult education venues in the Boston area (including Boston Center for Adult Education and Lexington Community Education) and at my house in Cambridge. I am also a member of the faculty of the Online School of Poetry.I... Read More →
avatar for Cammy Thomas

Cammy Thomas

Cammy Thomas’ first book of poems, Cathedral of Wish, received the 2006 Norma Farber First Book Award from the Poetry Society of America. Both it and her second book, Inscriptions, are published by Four Way Books. A fellowship from the Ragdale Foundation helped her complete Inscriptions... Read More →
Hosts
avatar for Tom Daley

Tom Daley

Instructor, Tom Daley Workshops
I lead workshops in poetry and memoir writing at community and adult education venues in the Boston area (including Boston Center for Adult Education and Lexington Community Education) and at my house in Cambridge. I am also a member of the faculty of the Online School of Poetry.I... Read More →
avatar for Cammy Thomas

Cammy Thomas

Cammy Thomas’ first book of poems, Cathedral of Wish, received the 2006 Norma Farber First Book Award from the Poetry Society of America. Both it and her second book, Inscriptions, are published by Four Way Books. A fellowship from the Ragdale Foundation helped her complete Inscriptions... Read More →
Tuesday June 18, 2024 7:30pm - 9:00pm EDT
Follen Church Society
 
Sunday, June 23
 

7:00pm EDT

Poetry Open Mic Night at Trident
Sunday June 23, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Join us for a fun evening of open mic poetry! We invite you to bring your own works and perform them in front of a supportive crowd. There's no better place to find your voice and share it with the world! 
The sign-up list opens at 6:30 pm in the upstairs cafe and the mic opens at 7:00pm.
  • Seating is first come, first served! 
  • Each open mic slot gets you about three minutes of stage time.
  • No need to memorize your work - just be comfortable and have fun!
  • If you read someone else’s work, give credit where due. 
  • Above all, show kindness to all. No hate speech, slurs, or sexually explicit language. 
Got a question? Shoot us an e-mail!

Sunday June 23, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Trident Booksellers & Cafe

7:00pm EDT

Lizard Lounge Poetry Slam
Sunday June 23, 2024 7:00pm - 10:30pm EDT
The doors open at 7:00 pm every Sunday, and we start with our “Poetry Slam.” The “Featured Poet” will start roughly at 8:30 pm, accompanied by the Blake Newman Group. After the Featured Poet, we have our “Open Mic,” also accompanied by the Blake Newman Group. There’s a $10 cover charge, and the Lizard Lounge is a 21+ venue.
Sunday June 23, 2024 7:00pm - 10:30pm EDT
The Lizard Lounge
 
Tuesday, June 25
 

6:00pm EDT

The Hard Work of Hope Reading
Tuesday June 25, 2024 6:00pm - 8:30pm EDT

Shortly after COVID-19’s arrival, Mass Poetry put out a call for poems about this unprecedented moment—empty grocery store shelves, conversations across balconies, stadiums turned hospitals, civil resistance in the face of police violence, the sirens, the sirens, the sirens—and were met with an overwhelming response. Using Kathleen Aguero's potem "Hard Work" as a guide, our community rose to the challenge, helping us make a record of this pandemic life. 
We always intended to have a culminating reading, but as the weeks became months, then years, and still case numbers rise and fall, rise again—well, we're realizing there isn't going to be as clear an ending as we'd hoped. So instead we're inviting you to a kick-off celebration: a reading to mark the beginning of a year of dreaming, planning, and creating. We will host a huge community gathering at the Mass Poetry Festival in Spring 2023, and everyone who has participated (as poet, or reader) in "The Hard Work of Hope" is invited to attend. 
But for now, join us on the Summer Solstice, June 21, 2022, to celebrate the balance between light and dark, a tip, a turn toward sun and summer, and beginning again:
6:00 pm - Community gathering near the harbor
6:30 pm - Choral reading of a poem
7:00 pm - Reading on the Calderwood Stage at GrubStreet's Center for Creative Writing
Come for some, or all of the evening. For the inside portion (beginning at 7), masks will be required.
Making sure our events are accessible is a top priority: GrubStreet's building, restrooms, and the event space are wheelchair accessible. There is a hearing loop available, and we will be using a mic and doing sound checks before the event for clarity. If you require closed captioning, ASL interpreters, or have other accessibility needs we might not have thought of, please reach out to danielle@masspoetry.org. We will do our best to accommodate any and all requests.
Tuesday June 25, 2024 6:00pm - 8:30pm EDT
GrubStreet's Center for Creative Writing
 
Sunday, June 30
 

7:00pm EDT

Poetry Open Mic Night at Trident
Sunday June 30, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Join us for a fun evening of open mic poetry! We invite you to bring your own works and perform them in front of a supportive crowd. There's no better place to find your voice and share it with the world! 
The sign-up list opens at 6:30 pm in the upstairs cafe and the mic opens at 7:00pm.
  • Seating is first come, first served! 
  • Each open mic slot gets you about three minutes of stage time.
  • No need to memorize your work - just be comfortable and have fun!
  • If you read someone else’s work, give credit where due. 
  • Above all, show kindness to all. No hate speech, slurs, or sexually explicit language. 
Got a question? Shoot us an e-mail!
Sunday June 30, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Trident Booksellers & Cafe

7:00pm EDT

Lizard Lounge Poetry Slam
Sunday June 30, 2024 7:00pm - 10:30pm EDT
The doors open at 7:00 pm every Sunday, and we start with our “Poetry Slam.” The “Featured Poet” will start roughly at 8:30 pm, accompanied by the Blake Newman Group. After the Featured Poet, we have our “Open Mic,” also accompanied by the Blake Newman Group. There’s a $10 cover charge, and the Lizard Lounge is a 21+ venue.
Sunday June 30, 2024 7:00pm - 10:30pm EDT
The Lizard Lounge
 
Sunday, July 7
 

7:00pm EDT

Lizard Lounge Poetry Slam
Sunday July 7, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
The doors open at 7:00 pm every Sunday, and we start with our “Poetry Slam.” The “Featured Poet” will start roughly at 8:30 pm, accompanied by the Blake Newman Group. After the Featured Poet, we have our “Open Mic,” also accompanied by the Blake Newman Group. There’s a $10 cover charge, and the Lizard Lounge is a 21+ venue.
Sunday July 7, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
The Lizard Lounge

7:00pm EDT

NEPC Poetry at Magazine Beach Park: Jane Attanucci, Charlot Lucien, Lawrence Kessenich
Sunday July 7, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
TBA
Please join the NEPC as they continue their summer programming at Mass Audubon’s Magazine Beach Park Nature Center in Cambridge! The event is free of charge and the venue is accessible.
Sunday July 7, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
TBA

7:00pm EDT

Poetry Open Mic Night at Trident
Sunday July 7, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Join us for a fun evening of open mic poetry! We invite you to bring your own works and perform them in front of a supportive crowd. There's no better place to find your voice and share it with the world! 
The sign-up list opens at 6:30 pm in the upstairs cafe and the mic opens at 7:00pm.
  • Seating is first come, first served! 
  • Each open mic slot gets you about three minutes of stage time.
  • No need to memorize your work - just be comfortable and have fun!
  • If you read someone else’s work, give credit where due. 
  • Above all, show kindness to all. No hate speech, slurs, or sexually explicit language. 
Got a question? Shoot us an e-mail!
Sunday July 7, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Trident Booksellers & Cafe
 
Wednesday, July 10
 

3:00pm EDT

Longfellow Summer Poetry Festival: Martha Collins and Philip Nikolayev
Wednesday July 10, 2024 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
Join us for the 2022 Longfellow Summer Poetry Festival! All events are free and open to the public - just bring a picnic blanket or lawn chair! The series is co-sponsored by the Friends of Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters and the New England Poetry Club. Visit https://www.nps.gov/long/planyourvisit/summer-festival.htm for details.

Martha Collins has published ten volumes of poetry, most recently Because What Else Could I Do (Pittsburgh, 2019), which won the Poetry Society of America’s William Carlos Williams Award. She has also published four volumes of co-translated Vietnamese poetry, most recently Black Stars: Poems by Ngo Tu Lap (Milkweed, 2013, with the author), and edited a number of anthologies. Her newest book of poems, Casualty Reports, is forthcoming in fall 2022.

Philip Nikolayev is a Russo-American bilingual poet living in Boston. He is a polyglot and translates poetry from several languages. Nikolayev’s verse collections include Monkey Time (Verse/Wave Books, winner of the 2001 Verse Prize) and Letters from Aldenderry (Salt). He co-edits Fulcrum, a serial anthology of poetry and critical writing. His bilingual edition, The Star of Dazzling Ecstasy: 79 Poems by Alexander Pushkin, Translated by Philip Nikolayev has been published by Tiptop Street.
Readers/Speakers
avatar for Martha Collins

Martha Collins

Martha Collins’ most recent book of poetry is Admit One: An American Scrapbook (Pittsburgh, 2016).  She has also published seven earlier volumes of poetry, including Day Unto Day (2014), White Papers (2012), and the book-length poem Blue Front (2006), as well as four collections... Read More →
Wednesday July 10, 2024 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site
 
Sunday, July 14
 

7:00pm EDT

Poetry Open Mic Night at Trident
Sunday July 14, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Join us for a fun evening of open mic poetry! We invite you to bring your own works and perform them in front of a supportive crowd. There's no better place to find your voice and share it with the world! 
The sign-up list opens at 6:30 pm in the upstairs cafe and the mic opens at 7:00pm.
  • Seating is first come, first served! 
  • Each open mic slot gets you about three minutes of stage time.
  • No need to memorize your work - just be comfortable and have fun!
  • If you read someone else’s work, give credit where due. 
  • Above all, show kindness to all. No hate speech, slurs, or sexually explicit language. 
Got a question? Shoot us an e-mail!
Sunday July 14, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Trident Booksellers & Cafe
 
Sunday, August 25
 

3:00pm EDT

NEPC Reading at Longfellow House
Sunday August 25, 2024 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
The Longfellow Summer Arts Festival brings music, poetry, and community to the East Lawn of the Longfellow House on Sunday afternoons through the summer. All events are free and open to the public.
Readers/Speakers
Sunday August 25, 2024 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site
 
Sunday, September 8
 

6:30pm EDT

Podcasting for Everyone: Getting Started Is Easier Than You Think! (In-person Event)
Sunday September 8, 2024 6:30pm - 7:30pm EDT
Podcasting is enjoying a resurgence lately, and it's easy to think that you need formal training or fancy equipment to try it out. You don't. In a discussion moderated by GrubStreet's Director of Community Engagement (and podcast lover) Eson Kim, come hear how podcasters Heloiza Barbosa and Felix Poon started out with zero podcast experience and eventually developed their craft into personally meaningful and award-winning works. There will be time for audience questions as well!

Directly following the event, there will be a small Open House tour of GrubStreet's new podcast studio space. Sign-ups will be available at the event for those who are interested.

Hosts
Sunday September 8, 2024 6:30pm - 7:30pm EDT
GrubStreet
 
Wednesday, September 11
 

3:30pm EDT

Benefit for the Boston National Poetry Month Festival, 2018 Sonia
Wednesday September 11, 2024 3:30pm - 5:30pm EDT
Purchase tickets online or at the door
Wednesday September 11, 2024 3:30pm - 5:30pm EDT
10 Brookline Ave, Cambridge MA
 
Friday, September 13
 

5:00pm EDT

Mass Poetry Unplugged at Prudential Center
Friday September 13, 2024 5:00pm - 7:00pm EDT
Join Mass Poetry for a series of readings at The Prudential Center in Boston. Aaron Smith, Enzo Silon Surin and Amy Mevorach will perform their work in the outdoor courtyard, Boylston Plaza at 800 Boylston St., Tuesday, September 12th from 5 - 7 pm.
Friday September 13, 2024 5:00pm - 7:00pm EDT
Boylston Plaza

6:00pm EDT

6:00pm EDT

Poetry Reading
Friday September 13, 2024 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Friday September 13, 2024 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Cambridge Public Library

7:00pm EDT

Chuck Carlise Poetry Reading and Book Signing
Friday September 13, 2024 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
IN ONE VERSION OF THE STORY is a lyric exploration of the ways human beings confront desire, loss and absence by creating stories. It begins with from the French folk legend of “l’Inconnue de la Seine”—the unidentified young woman who drowned herself in Paris in the 1880s, and whose (unauthorized) death mask was eventually cast as the face of Resusci-Anne CPR training dummies—but eventually the book encompasses a chronicle of personal loss, a history of photography, a study of the mechanics of breathing, and a solo climb to the rim of a Mediterranean volcano. Ultimately, it is story-making itself which is interrogated, however the book seeks not to recreate narratives, but rather to understand why they matter—why and how we give them the meaning that we do.
Friday September 13, 2024 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Trident Booksellers & Cafe
 
Sunday, September 15
 

7:00pm EDT

Caroline Smith Poetry Reading
Sunday September 15, 2024 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Sunday September 15, 2024 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Grolier Book Shop Plympton Street Cambridge

7:00pm EDT

Caroline Smith
Sunday September 15, 2024 7:00pm - 8:30pm EDT
Sunday September 15, 2024 7:00pm - 8:30pm EDT
Grolier Book Shop Plympton Street Cambridge
 
Monday, September 16
 

7:00pm EDT

The Civic Role of Poetry: For, By & Of the People with Richard Blanco
Monday September 16, 2024 7:00pm - 8:30pm EDT
Selected by President Obama as the fifth inaugural poet in U.S. history, Richard Blanco is the first Latino, immigrant, and gay person to serve in such a role. Born in Madrid to Cuban exile parents and raised in Miami, the negotiation of cultural identity characterizes his four collections of poetry: How To Love a Country, City of a Hundred Fires, which received the Agnes Starrett Poetry Prize from the University of Pittsburgh Press; Directions to The Beach of the Dead, recipient of the Beyond Margins Award from the PEN American Center; and Looking for The Gulf Motel, recipient of the Paterson Poetry Prize and the Thom Gunn Award. He has also authored the memoirs For All of Us, One Today: An Inaugural Poet’s Journey and The Prince of Los Cocuyos: A Miami Childhood, winner of a Lambda Literary Award. His inaugural poem “One Today” was published as a children’s book, in collaboration with renowned illustrator Dav Pilkey. Boundaries, a collaboration with photographer Jacob Hessler, challenges the physical and psychological dividing lines that shadow the United States. And his latest book of poems, How to Love a Country, both interrogates the American narrative, past and present, and celebrates the still unkept promise of its ideals. Blanco has written occasional poems for the re-opening of the U.S. Embassy in Cuba, Freedom to Marry, the Tech Awards of Silicon Valley, and the Boston Strong benefit concert following the Boston Marathon bombings. He is a Woodrow Wilson Fellow and has received numerous honorary doctorates. He has taught at Georgetown University, American University, and Wesleyan University. He serves as the first Education Ambassador for The Academy of American Poets.
Readers/Speakers
Monday September 16, 2024 7:00pm - 8:30pm EDT
Follen Church Society
 
Tuesday, September 17
 

4:00pm EDT

Boston AIR 2.0 Celebration
Tuesday September 17, 2024 4:00pm - 7:00pm EDT
Join us at the Emerson Urban Arts Media Art Gallery on Saturday, September 16th, as we celebrate the culmination of the second year of Boston Artists in Residence.

Meet the artists and community members! Celebrate diverse art making in Boston! Join our conversation on the importance of civic practice, social justice, and resiliency!

Music, film screenings, light snacks, and beverages! 

Remarks by BCYF Commissioner Will Morales will begin at 5 PM. Followed by an artist panel moderated by BAC and Boston AIR Director Karin Goodfellow.
Tuesday September 17, 2024 4:00pm - 7:00pm EDT
Emerson Urban Arts Media Gallery
 
Wednesday, September 18
 

2:00pm EDT

Brookline Poetry Series
Wednesday September 18, 2024 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
TBA
Wednesday September 18, 2024 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
TBA

2:00pm EDT

Plein Air Poetry Walk
Wednesday September 18, 2024 2:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
Readers/Speakers
avatar for Heather Corbally Bryant

Heather Corbally Bryant

Lecturer, Wellesley College
Heather Corbally Bryant teaches in the Writing Program at Wellesley College; previously she taught at Penn State University and Harvard College where she won awards for her teaching. She received her AB from Harvard and her PhD from the University of Michigan. Her first book, How... Read More →
Wednesday September 18, 2024 2:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
Old Frog Pond Farm & Studio
 
Thursday, September 19
 

4:00pm EDT

teXtmoVes
Thursday September 19, 2024 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
A poetry/dance/music interdisciplinary adventure with live performances and 2 streamed videos of diverse stylistic and thematic collaborations of an individual poet, dancer(s), music sometimes recorded, sometimes live.
Thursday September 19, 2024 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
Starlight Square
 
Friday, September 20
 

9:00am EDT

Kerri French, Jennifer Militello, and Sarah Sweeney
Friday September 20, 2024 9:00am - 9:30am EDT
Readers/Speakers
Friday September 20, 2024 9:00am - 9:30am EDT
Trident Booksellers & Cafe
 
Sunday, September 22
 

5:30pm EDT

Fall 2022 Open House & Info Session
Sunday September 22, 2024 5:30pm - 6:30pm EDT
Love to write but don't have anywhere to get feedback on your work? Want to meet fellow writers and work under the guidance of published authors? GrubStreet is here to help!

On Thursday, September 22nd from 6:30pm-7:30pm, we will be hosting an In-Person Open House to talk about upcoming Fall 2022 classes, GrubStreet's membership program, GrubStreet's Boston Writers of Color Group, The Muse and the Marketplace and more!

After a short presentation from GrubStreet staff, we will be on hand to answer any questions you have and show off our brand new space, including our expanded classrooms for teens and adults, the bookstore run by our friends at Porter Square Books (complete with rotating bookshelves), our community lounge, Boston’s only stage for the literary arts, our podcast studio, and more.

This event is free and includes complimentary drinks and snacks. Bring your mask, join the fun!

Please make sure to pre-register! We'll also send all attendees a code to receive 10% off any Fall 2022 class.

Hosts
Sunday September 22, 2024 5:30pm - 6:30pm EDT
GrubStreet
 
Wednesday, September 25
 

6:30pm EDT

A Celebration of Leonard Cohen In Song, Dance, & Poetry
Wednesday September 25, 2024 6:30pm - 9:00pm EDT
Readers/Speakers
Wednesday September 25, 2024 6:30pm - 9:00pm EDT
Arts and the Armory main stage
 
Thursday, September 26
 

12:00pm EDT

Joanna Klink and Monica Youn Stratis Haviaras Poetry Reading
Thursday September 26, 2024 12:00pm - 1:00pm EDT
Readers/Speakers
Thursday September 26, 2024 12:00pm - 1:00pm EDT
Thompson Room
 
Friday, September 27
 

5:00pm EDT

Mass Poetry Unplugged at Prudential Center
Friday September 27, 2024 5:00pm - 7:00pm EDT
Join Mass Poetry for a special U35 reading at The Prudential Center in Boston. Mollie Chandler, Carolyn Gibney and John McDonough will perform their work in the outdoor courtyard, Boylston Plaza at 800 Boylston St., Tuesday, September 26th from 5 - 7 pm.
Friday September 27, 2024 5:00pm - 7:00pm EDT
Boylston Plaza
 
Saturday, September 28
 

6:30pm EDT

6:30pm EDT

Why Thoreau Still Matters: Lessons on Environmentalism & Civil Disobedience
Saturday September 28, 2024 6:30pm - 8:00pm EDT
200 years after Henry David Thoreau’s birth in Concord, Massachusetts, a distinguished panel will consider Thoreau’s lessons for today’s world. Explore how Thoreau’s ideas have informed 21st-century civil disobedience and contemporary conversations about humans’ relationships with the natural world.
Panelists will include artist and filmmaker PAUL TURANO (Wander, Wonder, Wilderness), LAURA DASSOW WALLS, author of the new biography, Henry David Thoreau: A Life, acclaimed memoirist HOWARD AXELROD(The Point of Vanishing), MARIA MADISON, president of The Robbins House: Concord’s African American History historic site, and the Rev. FRED SMALL, Minister for Climate Justice at Arlington Street Church.
This event is part of the series “Boston is Thoreau Country: A Multimedia Series Celebrating Thoreau’s Legacy in the Hub,” Co-Presented by Old South Meeting House, The Thoreau Society, and the Boston Literary District and co-sponsored by The Walden Woods Project. CHRISTOPHER LYDON (WBUR Radio host, “Open Source with Christopher Lydon”) will moderate the event.
This program is made possible with funding from the Lowell Institute. Free and open to the public, registration is requested here.
Saturday September 28, 2024 6:30pm - 8:00pm EDT
Old South Meeting House

7:00pm EDT

Michelle Hoover, Patricia Horvath, and Sam Witt Poetry Reading
Saturday September 28, 2024 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
TBA
Saturday September 28, 2024 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
TBA
 
Sunday, September 29
 

6:00pm EDT

Black Orators: By Word and By Pen
Sunday September 29, 2024 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Join us for an evening of history, poetry and music.  
The program is a poetic and musical dedication to the unwavering persistence shared in three literary giants:  Maria Stewart (1803-1879), David Walker (c.1797-1830) and Samuel Allen (1917-2015).
Maria Stewart was the first woman to speak to a mixed-gender audience in public to address political topics. David Walker wrote and published An Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World.  As orators and publishers, both contributed to the African American literary canon. Maria Stewart and David Walker were good friends and neighbors on Joy Street.  After David died, Maria often quoted him and his efforts to unite black people. 
 
Samuel Allen, whose pen name was Paul Vesey, began his literary career in Europe where he was a contemporary of Richard Wright and James Baldwin.  First recognized in Europe in the late 1940s and early 1950s, his reputation spread to the U.S. in the 1960s.  His poetry books include Ivory Tusks and Other Poems and Paul Vesey’s Ledger.  Allen served on the Board of the Museum of African American History for over ten years.
 
L’Merchie Frazier, Director of Education, Museum of African American History will provide historical context.  Castle of Our Skins musicians will perform the work of black composers including String Quartets by Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson. Spoken word artist, Regie Gibson, will recite original poetry and select readings from the pens of Stewart, Walker and Allen. 
Sunday September 29, 2024 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
African American Meeting House at the Museum of African American History

7:30pm EDT

 
Saturday, October 26
 

11:00am EDT

Jump Start: Poetry Workshop
Saturday October 26, 2024 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
Would you like some new fuel for your poetic engine? Or could you use a jump start? Please join award-winning poet Charles Coe, a faculty member at the Newport MFA program, for a fun, relaxed workshop that will offer tools and strategies for generating new poetic ideas. Come spend an hour at "serious play."
Readers/Speakers
avatar for Charles Coe

Charles Coe

Poet and writer Charles Coe is author of two books of poetry: All Sins Forgiven: Poems for my Parents and Picnic on the Moon, both published by Leapfrog Press. His poetry and prose has appeared in a number of literary reviews and anthologies. He is author of Spin Cycles, a short novel... Read More →
Saturday October 26, 2024 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
Goethe-Institut Boston

11:00am EDT

Poetry as a Radical Act
Saturday October 26, 2024 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
Audre Lorde said, “Poetry is not a luxury.” To think, write, and be fully engaged with the world around us in ways that matter is nothing less than a radical act of survival. Cast across continents and centuries, matrilineage and inherited silences, Joan Kwon Glass’s Daughter of Three Gone Kingdoms explores colonialism and postcolonialism through disordered eating, suicide loss, religious damage, familial estrangement, addiction, motherhood, and recovery. Matthew E. Henry’s latest collection, said the Frog to the scorpion, blurs the lines between pedagogy and prejudice, romance and anti-racism, from conversations in public school classrooms and faculty meetings, to arguments in restaurants and folding tents. Jennifer Martelli’s latest collection, Dear Justice, complicates the personal and political with a series of epistolary sonnets—addressed to conservative Supreme Court judges—that embody the struggle against gender oppression, systemic violence, and the ongoing threats to reproductive rights. In SKY.POND.MOUTHKevin McLellan’s poems navigate the poetic inheritance of experimental queer poets—Ashbery, Schuyler, Stein. McLellan records the inner echoes of mind and body: language and desire, illness and eros, flora and fauna, memory and moment. In poems of reclamation and warning, Anna V. Q. Ross’s Flutter, Kick plumbs motherhood, migration, childhood, and the cycles of violence and renewal that recur in each. Sponsored by Mass Poetry.
Saturday October 26, 2024 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
Goethe-Institut Boston

12:30pm EDT

Blue Flare: Haitian Women Poets of the Now
Saturday October 26, 2024 12:30pm - 1:30pm EDT
This session will feature the internationally lauded poet Marie-Célie Agnant (former Canadian Parliamentary Poet Laureate) in conversation with Danielle Legros Georges (former Boston Poet Laureate). The writers will discuss the riveting work that appears in the newly released anthology Blue Flare, written from the standpoints of 21st century Haitian, Caribbean and African diasporic women. Join this dynamic conversation by award-winning Haitian and American women committed to literary and cultural works that reveal, dream, instigate interrogations, express deep commitments to questions of ethics, occupy crossroads, and mine intersections. Sponsored by Mass Poetry.
Saturday October 26, 2024 12:30pm - 1:30pm EDT
Goethe-Institut Boston

12:30pm EDT

Braving the Body: A Generative Writing Poetry Workshop
Saturday October 26, 2024 12:30pm - 1:30pm EDT
Join two of the coeditors of a new poetry anthology, Braving the Body (Harbor Editions, 2024) that Dawn Lundy Martin calls “astonishing.” Martin states, “after these 116 poems—at times achingly visceral, at others necessarily light-filled—you’ll wonder how you ever thought a body was a thing you knew.” Pichchenda Bao and Jennifer Franklin will lead participants through generative writing prompts inspired by a series of poems in the anthology by Diane Seuss, Ellen Bass, Fred Marchant, Martha Collins, Iain Haley Pollock, Kim Addonizio, and Caridad Moro-Gronlier.
Saturday October 26, 2024 12:30pm - 1:30pm EDT

2:00pm EDT

Boston Book Festival Poetry Headliners
Saturday October 26, 2024 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Award-winning poet Cynthia Manick and renowned author and three-time United States Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky read from their books No Sweet Without Brine, and Proverbs of Limbo: Poems. Manick’s No Sweet Without Brine, voted one of the Best Books of 2023 by the New York Public Library, personifies love of self and culture through fresh observations and bitter truths voiced with breathtaking lyricism. In Proverbs of Limbo, Pinsky’s first new book of poetry in eight years, one of our most ambitious, inventive, and finely tuned poets, takes an original approach to the fraught, central matter of borders. Come listen to these engaging poets read their work and discuss their upcoming poems in this unmissable headline reading. Sponsored by Mass Poetry.
Saturday October 26, 2024 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Goethe-Institut Boston

3:30pm EDT

Poetry Off the Page
Saturday October 26, 2024 3:30pm - 4:15pm EDT
A stellar line-up of spoken word poets—Parker-Vincent Alva, Princess Moon, D. Ruff, Essmaa Litim, and Maria Zaki— take the stage and steal some hearts in a fast-paced, time-stopping poetry extravaganza. Whether you’re a longtime fan of spoken word or this is your first experience, this performance is sure to immerse you in poetry and leave you wanting more. Our moderator is Amanda Shea, a two-time Boston Music Award-winning Spoken Word Artist. Sponsored by Mass Poetry.
Saturday October 26, 2024 3:30pm - 4:15pm EDT
Newsfeed Cafe at Boston Public Library

3:30pm EDT

Revise, Revise!: Poetry Workshop
Saturday October 26, 2024 3:30pm - 4:30pm EDT
Poets Anthony Walton and Heather Treseler will guide participants in a revision workshop, drawing from Ellen Bryant Voigt’s observation that a poem is “not the transcription but the transformation of experience.” They will lead participants in implementing concrete revision strategies from poets such as Frank Bidart, Elizabeth Bishop, Michael S. Harper, Robert Hass, Molly Peacock, and Mark Strand. The workshop leaders believe that revision is the key to poetic practice, a set of tools that can be learned and honed, and will provide specific rubrics, so that participants can crack open their poem drafts and locate what is not yet on the page.
Saturday October 26, 2024 3:30pm - 4:30pm EDT
Goethe-Institut Boston

6:30pm EDT

Poems & Pints
Saturday October 26, 2024 6:30pm - 7:30pm EDT
Join us and raise a glass or two with other poetry lovers at what’s become a favorite BBF tradition, Poems & Pints! Comfy furniture, free pints and pretzels, and readings by four fantastic poets: Tarik Bartel, Gregory Glenn, Joshua Nguyen, and Bianca Stone.  Sponsored by Mass Poetry.
Saturday October 26, 2024 6:30pm - 7:30pm EDT
Room & Board Boston
 
Monday, October 28
 

7:00pm EDT

The Invention of the Darling: An Evening of Poetry with Li-Young Lee
Monday October 28, 2024 7:00pm - 8:30pm EDT
Through the observation and translation of often unassuming and silent moments, the poetry of Li-Young Lee gives clear voice to the solemn and extraordinary beauty found within humanity. By employing hauntingly lyrical skill and astute poetic awareness, Lee allows silence, sound, form, and spirit to emerge brilliantly onto the page. His poetry reveals a dialogue between the eternal and the temporal, and accentuates the joys and sorrows of family, home, loss, exile, and love. Born in 1957 of Chinese parents in Jakarta, Indonesia, Lee learned early about loss and exile. His great grandfather was China’s first republican President; and his father, a deeply religious Christian, was physician to Communist leader Mao Tse-Tung. After the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, Lee’s parents escaped to Indonesia. In 1959, his father, after spending a year as a political prisoner in President Sukarno’s jails, fled Indonesia with his family to escape anti- Chinese sentiment. After a five-year trek through Hong Kong, Macau, and Japan, they settled in the United States in 1964.

Li-Young Lee is the author of six critically acclaimed books of poetry, most recently The Invention of the Darling (W. W. Norton, 2024), The Undressing (W.W Norton, 2018), Behind My Eyes (W.W. Norton, 2008), and a chapbook The Word From His Song (BOA Editions, 2016). His earlier collections are Book of My Nights (BOA Editions, 2001); Rose (BOA, 1986), winner of the Delmore Schwartz Memorial Award from New York University; The City in Which I Love You (BOA, 1991), the 1990 Lamont Poetry Selection; and a memoir entitled The Winged Seed: A Remembrance (Simon and Schuster, 1995), which received an American Book Award from the Before Columbus Foundation and was reissued by BOA Editions in 2012. His translation of the Dao De Jing is forthcoming in October 2024.
Readers/Speakers
Monday October 28, 2024 7:00pm - 8:30pm EDT
Lexington Depot, 13 Depot Square, Lexington, MA Lexington Depot, 13 Depot Square, Lexington, MA
 
Tuesday, October 29
 

7:30pm EDT

The Poetry Brothel: Scream, Queen!
Tuesday October 29, 2024 7:30pm - 11:00pm EDT

This October 29 at Upstairs at Bow, meet us under the pig’s blood for a glittering extravaganza of literary naughtiness. It’s time for the Halloween edition of The Poetry Brothel, an immersive literary cabaret!At The Poetry Brothel, a “madam” presents a rotating cast of poets, artists, and artisans who operate within self-constructed characters, “erupting into verse in public and luring guests into back rooms for private readings,” as described in The New Yorker. Central to The Poetry Brothel experience is the creation of character, which for each artist serves as a disguise and a freeing device, enabling The Poetry Brothel to be a place of uninhibited creative expression where artists and audience members alike can communicate more authentically.

Artists performing with the Brothel reflect the diverse identities of our city. Cis and trans women, cis and trans men, genderqueer, genderfluid, and nonbinary folks, people of color, queer, straight, emerging, established, local, and international poets make up our cabinet of poetry whores and brothel beauties. Their alter-egos may be faeries, sirens, witches, aliens, divas, royalty, demons, ancient forests, and everything in between. Some of the artists within The Poetry Brothel universe perform sex work in their off-hours (but not at this event!). The Poetry Brothel uses its platform to support sex workers and to educate audiences about the sex industry. A portion of proceeds from the evening's festivities will go to the Boston Sex Worker and Ally Coalition.

In addition to its poets, The Poetry Brothel presents artists and activists working in a variety of mediums both on stage and through its ever-changing array of intimate, interactive, and creative services.

This event is 21+. Dress for the costume contest!
Tuesday October 29, 2024 7:30pm - 11:00pm EDT
1 Bow Market Way (Upstairs), Somerville, MA 02143
 
Sunday, November 3
 

2:00pm EST

Poetry and Music at Medford Brewing Company
Sunday November 3, 2024 2:00pm - 4:00pm EST
Join the New England Poetry Club for poetry, music, and a touch of surrealism, at the Medford Brewing Company! Regie Gibson will headline the afternoon, which will also highlight NEPC member poets based in Medford. We’ll have original songs from Max Heinegg. And be prepared for the game of Exquisite Corpse.
Readers/Speakers
avatar for Julia Lisella

Julia Lisella

Poet, teacher, scholar
Julia Lisella’s three books of poetry are Our Lively Kingdom (Bordighera Press), Always (WordTech Editions), Terrain (WordTech Editions), and Love Song Hiroshima (Finishing Line Press). Her poems are widely anthologized and are forthcoming or have appeared in The Common, Ploughshares... Read More →
Sunday November 3, 2024 2:00pm - 4:00pm EST
30 Harvard Ave
 
Sunday, November 10
 

4:30pm EST

An Evening of Movement: Music and Poetry
Sunday November 10, 2024 4:30pm - 5:30pm EST

Join Black History in Action for an immersive evening at Saint Augustine’s Church, where movement, poetry, and music come together to create a shared experience. You'll have the opportunity to participate through prompts inspired by the church’s architecture. No performance experience is needed—just an openness to connect and explore together. Participation is optional.
Sunday November 10, 2024 4:30pm - 5:30pm EST
St. Augustine African Orthodox Christian Church
 
Monday, November 11
 

7:00pm EST

An Evening With Luisa A. Igloria, Aileen Cassinetto, Diane Seuss, and Martha Silano (Online)
Monday November 11, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST
Please join the New England Poetry Club, as we feature poems from Dear Human at the Edge of Time, and new books by Luisa A. Igloria and Martha Silano.

The poetry anthology, Dear Human at the Edge of Time, responds to the Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5) and features work by over 70 poets and scientists. Alongside the language and methodology of science, the collection presents the language of poets, of witness and community. This reading will highlight poems from this anthology as well as newly released books: Luisa A. Igloria’s Caulbearer, and Martha Silano’s This One We Call Ours, with Diane Seuss reading for Martha Silano.
Monday November 11, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST
Online
 


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