Literature

The Literature Committee presents contemporary authors working in a variety of genres. Recent highlights have included Brian Jay Jones, reading from his biography of Jim Henson; portrait photographer Mariana Cook, with her collection, Justice: Faces of the Human Rights Revolution; and a launch reading for “The Book of Scented Things: 100 Poems about Perfume.”

Typically, we host a spring season consisting of three events (February, March, April) and a fall season consisting of three events (September, October, December). Each event takes place on a Tuesday or a Wednesday, and starts at 7 PM. Please check the ACW Calendar for specific dates. These events are free and open to the public, and no reservations are required.

Since 2021, The Arts Club of Washington has conducted a Poets-in-Residence program, bringing together LGBTQ+ poets from the Washington, D.C., area. With the support of the DC Commission on the Arts, five poets are selected annually to collaborate, share insights, and foster community. Poets participate in regular meetings to encourage creative growth. Each poet also leads a free, public workshop, open to anyone interested in exploring poetry.

This writer’s residency inaugurates a new annual program at the Arts Club, and reinforces the Club’s historic identity as a welcoming space for people of all genders and sexualities.