Sunday, April 26 · A full day of poetry including workshops, readings, ekphrastic and music!
Join us for a full day of workshops, readings, ekphrastic art, and music at Manor Mill — a restored pre-revolutionary grist mill that houses a fine arts gallery in Monkton, Maryland.
Poetry Day brings together poets, writers, and lovers of the spoken word for an immersive experience featuring a keynote by former Maryland Poet Laureate Grace Cavalieri, hands-on workshops led by acclaimed poets, gallery-inspired ekphrastic writing, and an afternoon of readings and tea.
10:00–11:00 AM
Participants write poems responding to artwork on display in Manor Mill galleries, then share readings in front of the artworks that inspired them.
Spots limited — register early! This year features the Baltimore Watercolor Society Members’ Exhibit (opening March 14). A digital PDF of all poems and images is distributed to participants.
Hosted by Kyle Solomon
11:00 AM–12:00 PM
“Writing For My Life”
Maryland’s Tenth Poet Laureate explores writing as a life force, covering narrative, formal verse, persona, and monologue. The talk includes an interactive Q&A with the audience.
Grace is the founder and host of “The Poet and the Poem,” the longest-running poetry radio series in American history (49 years). Recent books include Fables From Italy (2025), The Third Voice (2025), and The Long Game: Poems Selected & New (2023). Her honors include AWP’s George Garrett Award, two Allen Ginsberg Awards, the Pen-Fiction Award, and the CPB Silver Medal.
12:00–1:00 PM
Lunch is included in your registration. Network with fellow poets and browse books.
1:00–3:00 PM · Choose one workshop
Arugula to Zabaglione: Work Up an Appetite for Words!
Food Poems with Chef Shirley
Explore food-themed poetry using culinary metaphors for craft. Shirley serves up a feast of language with appetizing exercises and savory writing prompts.
The Antipoem
"We crave only reality" — Thoreau
A study of unconventional poetry that breaks traditional expectations. Explore poems that challenge norms and discover how the antipoem opens new creative possibilities.
The Poetic Exit: Techniques for Ending Your Poems
Beyond "first thought, best thought"
Allen Ginsberg championed "first thought, best thought," but endings deserve special attention. Learn methods and techniques for crafting strong, resonant poem endings.
Getting Your Word(s) Out: Submitting Online
Navigate the world of literary submissions
Covers the submission process, using Submittable and Duotrope, crafting cover letters, understanding reading fees, and strategies for getting your work published.
3:00–4:30 PM
British-style tea with homemade cake, readings from workshop participants (optional), book browsing, and author meet-ups. A perfect close to the day.
Scholarship applications are now closed. For more information, email info@manor-mill.com.
Poetry Day Director
British poet with publications in Gargoyle, The Loch Raven Review, Meat For Tea, WWPH Writes, and Welter. 2025 Best of the Net Nominee. Featured on FotoSpecchio.com. Hosts a monthly reading series and edits the poetry anthology Poets of Manor Mill.
Ekphrastic Event Host
Baltimore-based writer and former Litmore board member and Artichoke Haircut associate editor. The Ivy Bookshop veteran. Published in JMWW, The Free State Review, and The Light Ekphrasis. Maryland Writers’ Association Featured Reader (2026). Writes poetry, fiction, and game analysis.
Keynote Speaker
Maryland’s Tenth Poet Laureate. Recent books include Fables From Italy (2025), The Third Voice (2025), and The Long Game: Poems Selected & New (2023). Founder and host of The Poet and the Poem, the longest-running poetry radio series in American history (49 years). Honors include AWP’s George Garrett Award, two Allen Ginsberg Awards, the Pen-Fiction Award, and the CPB Silver Medal.
Workshop Leader
Carver Center for the Arts resident poet and Passager Books board member. Published in Barrow Street, Gargoyle, Loch Raven Review, Poetry East, and Tar River Poetry. Fifth book Goddess of Swizzle forthcoming from Apprentice House (Spring 2026). Four-time Pushcart Prize nominee. Featured by Grace Cavalieri on The Poet and the Poem (2020), archived at Library of Congress. Poems on the moon via the Lunar Codex program.
Workshop Leader
Senior Lecturer Emeritus in English at University of Maryland, Baltimore County (35-year teaching career). Published in The American Scholar, Crosswinds Poetry Journal, Connecticut River Review, Loch Raven Review, Illuminations, and Southword. Maryland State Arts Council Fellowship winner (1988, 2009). Five poetry collections including Empire of Leaves (2018) and Leaf Notes: Poems of the Plague Years (2021, Water Sedge Poetry Prize).
Workshop Leader
Multiple national and international poetry competition wins including the Doolin International Poetry Prize (Ireland), Oberon Magazine Poetry Prize, and Maryland Writers’ Association Prize. Published in Rattle: Poets Respond, Sky Island Journal, The Cardiff Review, and Prairie Schooner. Loch Raven Review editor. Second collection At The Edge Of A Thousand Years won the 2023 Jacar Press Full-length Book Prize (selected by Carolyn Forché), published 2024.
Workshop Leader
Published in Sewanee Theological Review, The Nebraska Review, The Free State Review, Fledgling Rag, Unsplendid, Best American Poetry 2015, and JMWW. 2014 John Elsberg poetry prize winner and 2021 Erskine J. Poetry Prize finalist (Smartish Pace). First book Terminarch won the 2023 Able Muse Book Award (selected by David Yezzi).
