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.


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

Spring 2026 Schedule

March 2
Robin Becker reads from Midsummer Count: New and Selected Poems, with Richie Hofmann, whose newest collection is The Bronze Arms.

March 16
Tracy K. Smith, whose most recent book is Fear Less: Poetry in Perilous Times, will read new poems, with January Gill O’Neil, whose newest collection is Glitter Road.

March 23
Gail Mazur reads from her new book, World on a String, with Andrea Cohen, whose new collection is Sugar.

March 30
Angie Estes reads from her latest collection, The Swallows Come Out, with Bianca Stone, whose new book is The Near and Distant World.

April 6
Wyn Cooper reads from his new collection, The Unraveling, with David Orr, author of The Marvels.

April 13
New Voices: Emerging writers

April 27
Maggie Dietz reads from her new collection, If You Would Let Me, with Jennifer Clarvoe, whose new book is Piano Piano.

May 4
Lloyd Schwartz reads from Arthur Schnabel and Joseph Szigeti Play Mozart at the Frick Collection (April 4, 1948) and Other Poems, with Patrick Sylvain, whose new book is Fire on the Tongue

Previous Reading Recordings

Fall 2025

December 8, 2025 - Henri Cole and William Logan

Spring 2025

May 5, 2025 - Fanny Howe and Haleh Liza Gafori

Fall 2024

December 2, 2024 - Carl Phillips and V. Penelope Pelizzon

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:

The Ponsold-Motherwell Charitable Trust