Salem poetry events are flourishing as the city approaches its 400th anniversary celebration. On Sunday, January 11, the city’s first Poet Laureate, J.D. Scrimgeour, will launch his new book at the Peabody Essex Museum. This special reading marks nearly three decades of literary engagement with Salem. For poetry lovers and community members alike, it’s a meaningful moment. Salem’s First Poet

Massachusetts: A Song of Itself – Revolution and Resilience by Regie Gibson, Massachusetts Inaugural Poet Laureate Performed at his swearing-in ceremony, May 31, 2025 There is a song in this land, a melody threaded like marrow through its prehistoric bones, a song born beneath Pleistocene ice sheet, etched into glacial lake, scored into every stone. Can you hear it? Feel

May 30th – June 1st | Downtown Salem, MA Our creative community is about to experience something extraordinary. The Massachusetts Poetry Festival 2025 returns to Salem for its 12th iteration, and this year’s celebration promises to be our most inclusive and impactful yet. Together, we’re witnessing how poetry continues to bridge divides, spark conversations, and strengthen the cultural fabric that

By January Gill O’Neil All poetry is local. I believe poetry has the power to connect us—to history, place, and each other. While it’s hard to imagine poetry changing the world, I know it can change one person, offering a moment of reflection, joy, or understanding. My work finds the extraordinary in the ordinary, celebrating the beauty in the everyday

In a historic move celebrating Salem’s rich literary heritage, Mayor Dominick Pangallo and Salem Public Library Director Tara Mansfield have announced the appointment of J.D. Scrimgeour as the city’s inaugural Poet Laureate. This groundbreaking appointment comes as Salem approaches its 400th anniversary, marking a new chapter in the city’s cultural legacy. A New Cultural Milestone Establishing Salem’s first Poet Laureate

The Improbable Places Poetry Tour Lands in an Unlikely Venue Have you ever imagined reciting poetry in an airplane hangar? On October 22, 2024, this unusual scenario will become a reality as the Beverly Regional Airport hosts a night of verse as part of The Improbable Places Poetry Tour. A Unique Poetic Experience The brainchild of Colleen Michaels, Writing Studio

Versophonia: Volume 1 – Transformations marks the debut of a groundbreaking audio poetry zine produced by Chris O’Keeffe of OK Creative and the Thursday Poets, a Salem-based collective of professional poets. This collaborative project reimagines the poetry zine, bringing the immediacy of spoken word to podcast platforms in a DIY hackathon format. The first volume, themed Transformations, captures raw performances

📣 The City of Salem is excited to announce the search for its inaugural Salem Poet Laureate! 🎤📚 A Poet Laureate is an appointed poet who is tasked with promoting poetry and encouraging appreciation of the literary arts within a specific community, region, or country. The role often involves composing poems for special occasions and events, participating in or organizing