Bryant Park Reading Room: David Groff, Kazim Ali, Martha Rhodes, & Richard Smith

🌟 Join us at the Bryant Park Reading Room for a captivating evening celebrating the art of poetry! Immerse yourself in the words of both established and emerging poets throughout the summer.

Featured Poets:

David Groff 🎤
An accomplished poet, David Groff's latest work, Live in Suspense, released in 2023 by Trio House Press, is sure to inspire. His previous collection, Clay, was honored with the Louise Bogan Award. Groff's first collection, Theory of Devolution (University of Illinois Press), was selected for the National Poetry Series by the esteemed Mark Doty. In addition to his poetry, he has edited several notable anthologies, including Persistent Voices: Poetry by Writers Lost to AIDS and Who’s Yer Daddy?: Gay Writers Celebrate Their Mentors and Forerunners. He also teaches poetry and publishing in the MFA creative writing program at the City College of New York.

Kazim Ali 🌍
Born in the UK and a global citizen, Kazim Ali's diverse background enriches his poetry. His latest collection, Sukun: New and Selected Poems (Wesleyan University Press, 2023), has been described as “dazzling” by Publisher’s Weekly. His illustrious career includes a variety of poetry genres, with titles such as The Voice of Sheila Chandra, Inquisition, and Sky Ward, which won the Ohioana Book Award in Poetry. Ali's poetic landscape is complemented by his work as a translator and editor, with a rich array of novels and essays to his name.

Martha Rhodes 📚
With 5 collections to her credit, Martha Rhodes is renowned for her poetic contributions, including her recent book The Thin Wall from the University of Pittsburgh Press. Currently, she is compiling a new and selected collection. Martha teaches at the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College and serves as the publisher and executive editor of Four Way Books.

Richard Smith 🖋️
Richard Smith’s first poetry collection, Not a Soul but Us, won the 2021 May Sarton New Hampshire Poetry Prize and was followed by his second book, Beyond Where Words Can Go. His works draw from deep historical narratives, tackling themes of loss and faith against the backdrop of Tudor-era circumstances. In addition to his poetry, Richard is a psychologist with a practice in Washington, D.C.

Prepare to be moved and inspired as these talented poets share their voices and stories! 📖✨