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.

In 2023, the Arts Club of Washington proudly inaugurated its first group of Poets-in-Residence. Five talented and diverse LGBTQ+ poets from the Washington, DC region were selected for the honor, in a program supported by the DC Commission on the Arts. Over six months, from January through June, the group met privately to create a supportive community for one another and work together on issues of craft. Each writer also offered a free, public poetry workshop. The inaugural group of writers were Kim Roberts, Sunu Chandy, Malik Thompson, Tanya Olson, and Dan Vera.

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.