Cambridge Public Library to Host Former Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith for National Poetry Month

On Thursday, April 16, 6 p.m., the Cambridge Public Library will welcome acclaimed poet and author Tracy K. Smith for a reading and talk in celebration of National Poetry Month. A former Poet Laureate of the United States, as well as the recipient of a Pulitzer Prize, Smith is one of the nation's foremost experts on poetry. Her latest book, Fear Less: Poetry in Perilous Times was published in November 2025. This event is hybrid and registration is required.

Fear Less: Poetry in Perilous Times explores the craft of poetry and its ability to “allow us to confront life’s many uncertainties and losses, to build camaraderie with strangers, and to understand ourselves.”  

Tracy K. Smith is the Boylston Professor of Rhetoric and Oratory at Harvard University. She served as the 22nd Poet Laureate of the United States and is the author of five poetry collections, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning Life on Mars.

This event is cosponsored by the Cambridge Public Library Foundation. The Harvard Coop will be onsite with books to purchase. 

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About the Cambridge Public Library:
At the Cambridge Public Library, we welcome all, inspire minds, and empower community. We support a Cambridge where everyone has equitable opportunities to learn, people live their best lives and democracy thrives. The Library’s programming provides an opportunity for civic dialogue, conversation, and learning, which includes exploring a wide range of views. Visit our website to learn more. Subscribe to our email list to stay up to date on our events here. 

The City of Cambridge does not discriminate, including on the basis of disability. We may provide auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures to people with disabilities. For more information, contact us at library@cambridgema.gov, 617-349-4032 (voice), or via relay at 711.