Mass Poetry

Founded to support the Massachusetts poetry community. Our next biennial festival will take place in May 2021. Our 2021 SDOP will be held in May.

Our Largest Programs

The Massachusetts Poetry Festival
Three days of readings, workshops, panels, performances, and celebrations. Statewide Student Day of Poetry
Each year, we bring students together for an intensive day of poetry workshops and performances. In-School Student Days of Poetry
We take the elements of Statewide Student Day of Poetry on the road, directly into middle and high schools

across the state. U35 Reading Series
Our U35 reading series has moved online! Please see our events for when the next one will take place. Online Publications
Hard Work of Hope, Poem of the Moment, Getting to Know Massachusetts Poets, and much more are available online at http://www.masspoetry.org

10/22/2025

Join us for a full day of poetry programming at the Boston Book Festival on Saturday, October 25th.

01/03/2025

A huge thank you to everyone who contributed to our recent campaign! Your generosity and belief in Mass Poetry’s mission have truly inspired us. Thanks to you, we’re excited to continue building a poetry community that uplifts all voices.

If you didn’t get a chance to donate before the new year, there’s still time to support our work. Every gift helps us bring programs like the Teen Spoken Word Program, U35 reading series, poets-in-residence initiatives, and the Massachusetts Poetry Festival to life in 2025.

Together, we can keep fostering creativity, connection, and compassion through the power of poetry.

Thank you for being part of this journey, and here’s to a vibrant year of poetry ahead!

12/31/2024

Each year, Mass Poetry partners with the Boston Book Festival to curate the entire track of poetry programming, which includes readings, spoken word performances, and workshops. In 2024, over 1,000 festival-goers attended our events like "Blue Flare: Haitian Women Poets of the Now" and visited our tent on Copley Plaza to try their hand at blackout poetry.

Donate today to support Mass Poetry's community programming from the Boston Book Festival to our partnership at GrubStreet's Center for Creative Writing. Make a gift now so that all members of our commonwealth can come together to share their stories.

We aim to raise $50,000 by December 31st, so please give to Mass Poetry today. Visit https://masspoetry.org/donatenow/ to donate.

12/27/2024

At Mass Poetry, we are dedicated to inspiring and supporting the poets of tomorrow.

In 2024, Mass Poetry sent six teens to Brave New Voices, an International Poetry Festival where they had the opportunity to compete with teams from all over the country, participate in workshops, and attend panel discussions. Our teens were able to grow and develop as poets and make their voices heard on a national scale.

We are determined to give our teens the opportunity to attend the 2025 festival. Please consider donating before the year’s end to support the next generation of poets.

Visit https://masspoetry.org/donatenow/ to make a gift to Mass Poetry!

12/23/2024

Big thanks for supporting Mass Poetry and helping us celebrate poetry and build an incredible literary community! As the holidays roll in, we’re wishing you cozy reading, inspired writing, and quality time with your favorite people.

With the year coming to a close, we invite you to support Mass Poetry with a gift. Your generosity will help us host the Teen Spoken Word Festival in March and bring the Massachusetts Poetry Festival back to Salem on May 31–June 1. Our goal is to raise $50,000, with generous matches from our current campaign to amplify the impact of your gift. Please consider donating by 12/31 to help us keep the poetry magic alive!

We aim to raise $50,000 by December 31st, so please give to Mass Poetry today. Visit https://masspoetry.org/donatenow/ to donate.

12/20/2024

We’d like to offer our big-hearted thanks to Jillian Frank, our outgoing Events and Communications Coordinator through Northeastern’s Co-op program. A senior with a passion for songwriting and graphic design, Jillian jumped right in at Mass Poetry, offering on-the-ground event coordination at U35 readings and behind-the-scenes support on social media and marketing.

“From designing materials for the Campaign for Mass Poetry to masterminding our Boston Book Fest booth, Jillian made invaluable contributions at every turn,” shared Daniel Johnson, Mass Poetry’s executive director. “The entire Mass Poetry team wishes Jillian an inspired, creative future,” he offered.

You can learn more about Northeastern’s Co-op Program by visiting https://www.northeastern.edu/experiential-learning/co-op/

12/18/2024

Mass Poetry is proud to celebrate 15 years of fostering connection, creativity, and community through poetry.

Since 2009, we’ve brought poets and audiences together through innovative programming, including the beloved biennial Massachusetts Poetry Festival. We’re thrilled to announce the Festival’s return on May 31–June 1, 2025, which will continue in its tradition of showcasing diverse voices and engaging poetry lovers of all ages.

Join us in celebrating this milestone by donating today—your support ensures the next 15 years of impactful poetry programming!

12/17/2024

Mass Poetry’s teen programming nurtures the next generation of poets by providing dynamic opportunities for creative growth and expression.

Our after-school program SW@MP (Spoken Word at Mass Poetry) offers teens a safe space to develop their voices and connect with peers who share their passion for poetry.

The annual Teen Spoken Word Festival, Write Here | Write Now | Speak Loud!, celebrates youth voices, giving them a platform to perform and engage with their communities.

By supporting these programs, you help us empower young poets to thrive. Your donation will fund resources for teens at our Festival in Downtown Boston in March of next year.

12/10/2024

At Mass Poetry, we break down barriers to accessing poetry, while engaging diverse communities across our commonwealth and showcasing poets from all different backgrounds.

We offer free programming, ensuring that poetry reaches people of all ages and communities. From classrooms to public spaces, we aim to make poetry an inclusive, transformative experience for everyone.

Help Mass Poetry continue to offer community-based, meaningful programs that bring poetry to the forefront of peoples’ lives by donating before the year’s end!

Our goal is to raise $50,000, along with generous matches from our current campaign, by 12/31. Donate today to help promote poetry in Massachusetts.

12/06/2024

Get ready for an electrifying night at the SW@MP Slam!

When: December 11th, 5 PM
Where: Center for Creative Writing (50 Liberty Drive, Boston MA, 02210)

Join us as SW@MP teens compete for a spot on the Slam Team headed to March's Teen Spoken Word Festival! The evening kicks off with a feature performance by poet and SWA@MP Slam Team coach Katya Zinn, followed by a high-energy 3-round slam.

We need YOU in the audience to cheer on these incredible young voices. Let’s pack the house and celebrate the power of spoken word!

12/05/2024

We are so excited to introduce you all to the next poet in our getting to know series: Linda Flaherty Haltmaier!

Linda Flaherty Haltmaier is the award-winning author of four books of poetry and the Poet Laureate Emeritus of Andover, MA. Her new collection, Shadows Set to Burn, is the winner of the 2024 International Book Award for Narrative Poetry. Linda leads poetry workshops, gives readings, and promotes poetry on the North Shore of Boston where she lives with her husband and daughter.

Read Linda’s full bio and interview here: https://masspoetry.org/getting-to-know-linda-flaherty-haltmaier/

12/04/2024

Throwback to July when we sent six amazing teens to Brave New Voices in Washington, D.C., to compete as a part of Mass Poetry's Youth Slam Team! Their words were powerful, their performances unforgettable, and they repped Massachusetts with so much pride.

We can’t wait to cheer on a new team of young poets next year at this life-changing event! Stay tuned for upcoming fundraising events—you can help us make this possible for the next wave of talented teens!

Address

50 Liberty Drive, Suite 500
Boston, MA
02210

Website

http://www.masspoetry.org/

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