Elizabeth Hazen Interviews Dean Smith, Author of Baltimore Sons
Elizabeth Hazen sits down with fellow Baltimore poet Dean Smith for the Baltimore Fishbowl
Introduction authored by Elizabeth Hazen for the Baltimore Fishbowl:
"Dean Bartoli Smith’s second poetry collection, Baltimore Sons, paints a brutally honest portrait of Charm City – a place bursting with personality and charm, but also marred by poverty and violence. In these poems, readers will find neighborhoods filled with vibrant people who, along with the city itself, have shaped the speaker’s perspective.
Smith’s poems range from snapshots of childhood pastimes and homages to iconic Baltimoreans to missives about gun violence and even poems from the weapons’ perspectives. Despite the grit and realism in his work, Smith never despairs, instead highlighting the humanity that ultimately redeems the city and its residents. According to Smith, 'No one really knows what to make of native Baltimoreans. The city remains a wildcard that’s hard to define,' but through these poems, Smith has certainly given us a powerful representation.
A Baltimore native with a background in reporting and a journalistic eye for detail, Smith has written a collection that is accessible, heartbreaking, and 'the most painful love letter I’ve ever written.'"
Joanna Revisits Greece in her New Blog Entry
Joanna Biggar discusses the experience of revisiting a place in her newest blog entry, and debuts a poem in the shadow of the women’s march.
Linda Watanabe McFerrin Talks Travel and Literature on KCBX
In this interview for NPR affiliate KCBX, Linda Watanabe McFerrin discusses travel, literature, and her new book “Navigating the Divide.”
Reuben Jackson Talks “Old DC” on the DC Library Podcast
ON TUESDAY the writer of 2019’s Scattered Clouds and archivist at UDC’s Felix E. Grant Jazz archives, Reuben Jackson, stopped in for a chat with the DC Public Library’s radio podcast.