O.B. Hardison Poetry Series subscriptions

O.B. Hardison Reading

with Cornelius Eady

October 20, 2026, 7:30pm

Join Folger Poetry in honoring the legacy of former Folger Shakespeare Library Director O.B. Hardison, Jr. with acclaimed poet Cornelius Eady (Pulitzer Prize–nominated The Gathering of My Name; National Book Award finalist for Brutal Imagination). He is a recipient of the 2023 Pegasus Award for Service in Poetry and co-founder of Cave Canem, a non-profit literary organization committed to cultivating the artistic and professional growth of Black poets. Eady’s poetry centers the everyday experiences of Black Americans through his signature jazz and blues-inflected verse.

Emily Dickinson Birthday Tribute Reading

with Rebecca Lehmann

December 8, 2026, 7:30pm

The Folger invites poet, essayist, and debut novelist Rebecca Lehmann (The Sweating Sickness, Ringer, Between the Crackups) for this annual event celebrating the legacy of one of America’s most beloved poets, Emily Dickinson. Winner of the AWP Donald Hall Prize for Ringer, Lehmann will read from her own works alongside selected passages from Dickinson’s poetry. At the reading, which is co-sponsored by the Emily Dickinson Museum, Dickinson’s famous black cake (based on her own recipe) will also be served.

The 2027 Anthony Hecht Poetry Prize Reading

with Prize judge A.E. Stallings

February 16, 2027, 7:30pm

The Anthony Hecht Poetry Prize, created in honor of the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Anthony Hecht, is awarded annually for a poetry collection by a writer who has published no more than one book of poetry. Acclaimed poet, classicist, and translator A.E. Stallings (National Book Critics Circle Award nominated Olives, Pulitzer Prize finalist for Like), will select this year’s winner and read at the event. Recent winners include Anna Lena Phillips Bell (Might Could), Julia Thacker (To Wildness), Hannah Louise Poston (Julia Hungry), and James D’Agostino (The Goldfinch Caution Tapes). This reading introduces a newer yet already celebrated poet to a larger audience. The winner will be announced later.

National Poetry Month Reading

with Matthew Shenoda

April 6, 2027, 7:30pm

In celebration of National Poetry Month, the O.B. Hardison Poetry Series is launching its inaugural National Poetry Month Reading with American Book Award winner Matthew Shenoda. Recognized early in his career by Poets & Writers magazine for his first book, Somewhere Else, Shenoda is a founding editor of the African Poetry Book Fund and both the African Poetry book series and On African Poetry book series. The Folger welcomes Shenoda as he reads from previous works, as well as his new collection Holdings, to be released by Knopf in April 2027.

The O.B. Hardison Poetry Series Finale Reading

with Natalie Diaz

June 8, 2027, 7:30pm

The Folger Poetry season concludes with a finale reading by a poet chosen by the Folger Poetry Advisory Council. The evening’s honored guest will be Pulitzer Prize–winning Mojave American poet Natalie Diaz (Postcolonial Love Poem, When My Brother Was an Aztec). A dynamic and celebrated poet, scholar, and activist, Diaz will read from the work of other poets cited as her literary influences as well as from her own acclaimed work.