Massachusetts Statewide Poetry Calendar

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.

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!

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.