Poets Clint Smith and Patricia Smith Come to Houston's Inprint Margarett Root Brown Reading Series

It was a full house at the Hobby Center in downtown Houston for poets Clint Smith and Patricia Smith on Monday, February 12. 

Clint Smith's new book of poems, Above Ground (my review), was my choice for my First Read of 2024, and I loved reading his nonfiction book, How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America (my review) in 2022. So I was eager to hear this poet. I was not disappointed.

In the poetry world, though, it is poet Patricia Smith who has seniority over Clint. I wasn't familiar with Patricia Smith, but I soon learned that she has published nine collections of poetry, the first over thirty years ago. Patricia Smith began as a slam poet, I discovered, in Chicago, and she now lectures about poetry writing at several universities in America. Patricia Smith collects old photographs, and her latest collection of poetry is a series of poems based on those old photos. 

I could have listened to Clint Smith and Patricia Smith speak all night with interviewer and Houston Poet Laureate Aris Kian. 

I feel so much hope for the world when I hear brilliant and articulate poets speak to an appreciative audience.

For more Clint Smith, take a look at his visit to CBS Sunday Morning here.

For more Patricia Smith, take a look at her reading on Poets.org here.

For more photos, link up at Wordless Wednesday, Comedy Plus, Messymimi's Meanderings, Keith's Ramblings, Create With Joy, Wild Bird Wednesday, and My Corner of the World.