The 2025 Massachusetts Poetry Festival

Shame is often an experience without language as it is shrouded in silence and taboo. Poetry is an art form capable of holding shame as it uniquely captures what cannot be named. How do poets approach shame in their work? The panelists will discuss what forms, language, and perspectives they use in their work to bring shame into the light. This event will be composed of three components: a reading, an interactive Q&A, and mini-workshop. Audience members will be invited to experiment with writing a poem from/out of their own experiences with shame via writing prompts offered by the panelists.