Blacksmith House Poetry Series

Founded in 1973, the award-winning Blacksmith House Poetry Series brings established and emerging writers of poetry and fiction to Harvard Square.

About The Blacksmith House Poetry Series

Founded in 1973, the award-winning Blacksmith House Poetry Series brings established and emerging writers of poetry and fiction to Harvard Square. The series is named after the Blacksmith House at 56 Brattle Street, site of the village smithy and spreading chestnut tree of Longfellow’s 1839 poem "The Village Blacksmith."

All readings take place in person at 56 Brattle Street on Mondays at 8pm. Admission is $5 and tickets are available at the door.


Ron Spalletta & Daniel Grover, Assistants to the Director
Andrea Cohen, Director
Gail Mazur, Founding Director

Fall 2023 Schedule

October 2

Cate Marvin, whose most recent collection is Event Horizon, reads with Marcus Wicker, author of Silencer.

October 16

Ron Slate, author of Joy Ride, reads with Jesse Nathan, whose debut collection is Eggtooth.

October 23

Randall Mann reads from his new book, DEAL: New and Selected Poems, with Daniel Johnson, author of Shadow Act.

October 30

Suzanne Buffam, author of A Pillow Book, reads with Valerie Duff, whose latest collection is Aquamarine.

November 6

Vievee Francis reads from her new book, The Shared World, with Matthew Olzmann, whose most recent collection is Constellation Route.

November 13

Geoff Brock reads from Allegria (translations of Giuseppe Ungaretti) and from his forthcoming, After, with Elisa Gonzalez whose debut collection of poems is Grand Tour.

December 4

Christian Wiman reads from his latest book, Zero at the Bone: Fifty Entries Against Despair, with Danielle Chapman, whose two new books are Boxed Juice (poetry) and Holler: a Poet Among Patriots (prose).

Previous Reading Recordings

Fall 2022

October 24, 2022, Recording - Tracy K Smith

Spring 2022

March 21, 2022, Recording - Linda Gregerson and Roger Reeves

February 28, 2022, Recording - Lesle Lewis and Joan Kane


February 21, 2022, Recording - Matthew Olzmann and Donika Kelly

Fall 2021

October 18, 2021 Recording - Lloyd Schwartz and Peter Shippy

October 25, 2021 Recording - Cammy Thomas and Joan Houlihan

November 1, 2021 Recording - Angie Estes and Maureen McLane

November 15, 2021 Recording - Peter Campion and Atsuro Riley

November 22, 2021 Recording - John Skoyles and Pablo Medina

November 29, 2021 Recording - Sandra Lim and Noah Warren

December 6, 2021 Recording - George Kalogeris and Chard DeNiord

Late Winter/Early Spring 2021

February 22, 2021 Recording - Denise Bergman and Katherine Hollander

March 1, 2021 Recording - Natalie Shapero and Rebecca Morgan Frank

March 8, 2021 Recording - Christian Wiman and Andrea Cohen

March 15, 2021 Recording - Joyce Carol Oates

March 22, 2021 Recording - New Voices: Emerging Writers with Selma Asotic, Sarah Audsley, Chibuihe Obi, and Heather Treseler.

March 29, 2021 Recording - Zachary Schomburg and Yona Harvey

April 5, 2021 Recording - Khaled Mattawa and Randall Mann

April 12, 2021 Recording - Yusef Komunyakaa

May 3, 2021 Recording - Jennifer Militello and Tim Liardet

Fall 2020

October 26, 2020 Recording - Steven Cramer and Joyce Peseroff

November 2, 2020 Recording - Jeffrey Harrison and Nathalie Handal

November 16, 2020 Recording -David Barber and David Blair

December 7, 2020 Recording - Rosanna Warren and Henri Cole

December 14, 2020 Recording - Dennis Held and Derek Sheffield

Other recordings

April 9, 2018 Recording - Javier Zamora and Tom Sleigh

Blacksmith House Poetry Series is supported by: