Ever found yourself singing a song in the shower? Being moved by a painting? Touched by a poet’s words?
Harness that frisson at an upcoming workshop with the Arts Club of Washington Pride Poets-in-Residence.
In two weeks, I’m leading a workshop on queer homage. I’ll bring a few poems by LGBTQ+ poets and we’ll use these as inspiration to write our own “after poems”. An “after poem” is inspired by, in conversation with, or in homage to another poet’s work, often indicating this influence with an epigraph (a quotation from another literary work) beneath the title or at the beginning of the poem. “After poems” may respond to or reimagine themes, lines, styles, or meaning from the inspiration piece, and should give credit and attribution.
Learn more about the workshop:
Pride Poetry Workshop: Queer Homage
March 24 | 6:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m. EDT | Arts Club of Washington
In this workshop, we will create poems in conversation with, or in the style of, or in response to another poem, or piece of art, or song. “After poems” are a powerful form of connection across mediums and artists — they can generate dialogue, honor, subvert, or reclaim. Open to writers of all levels of experience and backgrounds. Free.
And next month, on April 21, my fellow Pride Poetry-in-Residence cohort member Xochi Quetzali Cartland will be leading a workshop called Wronged Women: Hell Hath No Fury. Sounds like you don’t want to miss it!
The DC Pride Poems 2026 deadline is coming up on March 30. There’s no fee to enter and selected poets will receive a $50 stipend. Only LGBTQ+ poets living in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area are eligible to submit. Submit up to five poems.
The 2026 theme is Urban Geographies. Poems specific to Washington, D.C. and other cities are welcome.
DC Pride Poems is an annual project that showcases LGBTQ+ poets from the greater Washington, D.C. region. The project releases a video each day during the month of June in honor of National Pride Month.
