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The Boutelle-Day Poetry Center at Smith College

The Boutelle-Day Poetry Center at Smith College

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Founded in 1997 by Annie Boutelle, students and community members can attend poetry readings that feature nationally and internationally acclaimed poets.

This page will feature information about upcoming events at the Smith College Poetry Center, such as poetry readings, question and answer sessions and special events by students in the Poetry Concentration. The current director of the Smith College Poetry Center is Ellen Doré Watson. For information regarding the history of the Poetry Center, please refer to that section of our website here: http:

08/19/2026

Sappho. Emily Dickinson. June Jordan. Ross Gay. Gwendolyn Brooks. Marianne Moore. Muriel Rukeyser. Ada Limón. Maxine Hong Kingston.

Thanks to our community we have a new word wall featuring the words that keep you writing.

08/18/2026

“His was all stomach, his panza / formed like that word / from morning’s sweet rolls…” -Brandon Som reading from his poem “Cypher” during his 2/10/26 reading.
Full reading (including conversation with Yona Harvey) available on the BDPC YouTube channel! Linked in bio.

08/18/2026

alum Sylvia Plath ’55 is often remembered for the work she produced near the end of her life, but a newly published edition of The Poems of Sylvia Plath reveals a far more complete picture. Co-edited by Smith research affiliates Karen V. Kukil and Amanda Golden, the five-year project nearly doubles the number of poems in previous collections and offers a closer look at her lifetime of ambition and creativity.

➡ Tap the link to explore the archive and read more about this historic publication: smith.edu/news-events/news/complete-plath

08/13/2026

So excited for our Fall 2026 readers! Make sure yo mark your calendars with these dates. All books available to read at the BDPC 🎉

Melissa Febos
Graywolf Press
Keetje Kuipers
Jason Schneiderman
Red Hen Press | Indie Nonprofit Publisher
Milkweed Editions
Susan L. Leary
Archipelago Books

08/07/2026

“I wish we had seen you loved in the light.” -Danez Smith reading from their unpublished piece, “Love Poem: Luther Vandross” during their 4/28/26 reading.
Full reading available to watch on the Boutelle-Day Poetry Center YouTube channel. Link in bio.

08/04/2026

“The reading of a poem… completes the ritual of the poem” -Danez Smith during their 4/28/26 reading and conversation with Tiana Clark.
Watch the full reading & conversation on the Boutelle-Day Poetry Center YouTube channel! Link in bio.

07/29/2026

The upcoming Aug 22 workshop responding to Alma Thomas’s paintings in Composing Color at Smith College Museum of Art with janfreemanpoemsandplace is full, but you can still get on the waitlist. Link in stories or on Smith College Museum of Art’s linktree!

07/20/2026

Starting the week with a certain Mary Oliver poem that always gives us GOOSEbumps…

07/14/2026

Western MA Mary Oliver hive, activate! 🐝

Exciting news from our friends & neighbors ! “Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World” will be showing from July 17-July 23. See their site for showtimes and ticketing info.

Director Sasha Waters () was kind enough to share a truly delightful bonus clip with us featuring Donika Kelly reading Oliver’s “The Honey Tree” (Kelly & will join us to kick off our own season on September 22— more info as the season approaches!)

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Wright Hall, Smith College
Northampton, MA
01063