2000

February 18, 2000 Paula Meehan

• 8 p.m. Paula Meehan read from her poetry, was introduced by Irish Ambassador Sean O’Huiginn, and followed by musicians and singers Dominick Murray and the Winch brothers and a boy/girl pair of champion stepdancers at the 22nd Annual Irish Evening, Jim Rouse Theatre.

March 26 and 27, 2000 Taylor Branch

• 4 p.m On Sunday, the Pulitzer Prize-winner and 1999 National Humanities Medalist brought a general audience up to date on civil rights in Slayton House, then Monday spoke with high school students at Wilde High School on the same topic.

April 6, 2000 Bill’s Buddies

• 10 a.m. Four actors from the Folger Shakespeare Library performed scenes for 300 high school students, Jim Rouse Theatre.

October 22, 2000 Michael Glaser, Lucille Clifton, Hilary Tham, Terry Edmonds, Lane Jennings

• 4 p.m. Reading by contributors to Weavings 2000: Maryland Millennial Anthology, Christ Episcopal Church, Columbia.

June 23, 2000 Edward Hirsch, Sekou Sundiata, Roland Flint, Linda Pastan, Lucille Clifton, Michael Collier, Marilyn Byers, Linda Joy Burke, Karen Arnold and Edgar Silex

• As part of the Columbia Festival of the Arts, HoCoPoLitSo organized and sponsored “In Love with Words: A Day Devoted to Poetry,” a daylong festival that featured readings, workshops and book sales. Hirsch and Clifton read together in the afternoon, and Sundiata and his band performed late into the night. Nearly 700 people attended the event, held at Slayton House and Wilde Lake Village Center.

2001

January 9, 2001 Lyubomir Nikolov

• Poet-in-residence read his work and answered questions from the audience of 240 Glenelg Country School students.

February 9, 2001 Paul Durcan

• 7:30 p.m. The poet read his work at the 24th Irish Evening, followed by a concert by members of Celtic Thunder, Jim Rouse Theatre.

February 25, 2001 Michael Collier, Lucille Clifton and friends

• Poets gathered to read the poems of the late Roland Flint, who had died in January 2001, at the Writers’ Center in Bethesda.

March 2001 Lyubomir Nikolov

• Poet-in-residence visited ten Howard County high schools over five days in March.

March 16, 2001 Lyubomir Nikolov

• Poet-in-residence spoke with teachers at a Howard County schools teacher in-service day.

May 6, 2001 Lucille Clifton, Timothy Jenkins and State Sen. Jim Clark

• 3 p.m. In “Celebrating Sterling A. Brown’s Centenary,” the poets and historians spoke about his influence, his life story and read his poetry, Stephens Mansion, North Laurel.

May 9, 2001 Bill’s Buddies

• 10 a.m. Actors from the Folger Shakespeare Library performed his comedies and tragedies for more than 400 Howard County high school students.

May 17, 2001 Amiri Baraka

• 7:30 p.m. Poet read his work and spoke to sixty students at the Black Student Achievement award ceremony, River Hill High School.

October 26, 2001 Michael Dirda and Marie Arana

• 7:30 p.m. The Washington Post book section writers shared the stage, Dirda reading from his collected columns, Reading and Literary Entertainments, and Arana from her memoir, American Chica: Two Worlds, One Childhood, Historic Oakland.

December 2001 to March 2002 Reuben Jackson

• Jackson served as HoCoPoLitSo’s poet-in-residence, meeting students at the ten Howard County high schools in visits arranged by Virginia Pausch.

2002

January 2002 Lyubomir Nikolov

• 12 p.m. The Bulgarian poet spoke at a luncheon, Columbia Town Center Rotary.

January 31, 2002 Michael Collier

• 7 p.m. The Maryland Poet Laureate read his poetry, Miller Branch Library.

February 6, 2002 Nuala O’Faolain

• 7:30 p.m. The best-selling author read from her memoir, Are you Somebody, and her novel, My Dream of You, introduced by Irish Ambassador Sean O’Huiginn, followed by members of the Celtic Thunder band, singer Gracie Griffith, and stepdancers Maura Hodgetts and Sean Conner at the 24th annual Irish Evening, Jim Rouse Theatre.

March 8, 2002 Edgar Silex

• A former poet-in-residence read his poetry and met with two high school classes, Glenelg Country School.

March 15, 2002 Daniel Mark Epstein

• Read his poetry for 110 county English teachers during their in-service day, Kossiakoff Center, Columbia.

March 16, 2002 Daniel Mark Epstein, Kendra Kopelke and Michael Collier

• 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Read their poetry and participated in an on-stage question and answer session moderated by Howard Community College English professor Tara Hart at the Howard Community College Book Festival, Smith Theatre.

April 7, 2002 Terence Winch, Edward Weismiller, Lyubomir Nikolov, Carrie Brown, Michael Collier

• 7:30 p.m. Reading in honor of the late, much-loved Roland Flint during National Poetry Month with Flint’s widow, Rosalind Cowie, and his elder daughter, Elizabeth, as special guests, Slayton House.

April 15, 2002 Lyubomir Nikolov

• Read his poetry and critiqued student poets during a day-long visit, McDonogh School.

April 24, 2002 Bill’s Buddies

• 10 a.m. The troupe of actors from the Folger Shakespeare Library performed scenes of the bard’s comedies and tragedies for middle school students, Long Reach High School.

September 29, 2002 Daniel Mark Epstein

• Afternoon. Under the auspices of HoCoPoLitSo, the poet and biographer visited the Baltimore Book Festival, reading and discussing Nat King Cole, Historic Mt. Vernon Square.

October 18, 2002 Elizabeth Spires and Madison Smartt Bell

• 8 p.m. Reading from her poetry and his novel in cooperation with the English/ World Language Division, Howard Community College.

October to November 2002 Grace Cavalieri

• As HoCoPoLitSo’s poet-in-residence, Cavalieri read at the (then) eleven Howard County High Schools, meeting more than 778 students and providing feedback to many student poets.

November 10, 2002 Grace Cavalieri

• 3 p.m. Read her poetry, co-sponsored with Howard County Library, Howard County Central Library.

2003

February 7, 2003 Ciaran Carson

• 8 p.m. The traditional musician and writer, dubbed the “circus act of contemporary Irish letters,” punctuated his poetry reading with tuneful asides on his flute and tin whistle in addition to reading some of his translation of Dante’s Inferno, followed by Irish musicians and dancers at the 25th Annual Irish Evening, Jim Rouse Theatre.

April 23, 2003 Bill’s Buddies

• 10 a.m. Four actors from the Folger Shakespeare Library performed scenes for 645 county eighth-graders, Jim Rouse Theatre.

October 10, 2003 Lucille Clifton, Michael Collier, Elizabeth Spires

• 8 p.m. Readings and reminiscences of Baltimore’s Josephine Jacobsen, who had died in July 2004 at age 94, held in the Instructional Laboratory Building at Howard Community College.

November 2003 to February 2004 Dr. Jean Nordhaus

• As HoCoPoLitSo’s 12th poet-in-residence, Nordhaus offered readings and discussion visits at the (then) eleven Howard County high schools.

2004

February 27, 2004 Mary O’Malley

• 8 p.m. Read her poetry, introduced by Irish ambassador His Excellency Noel Fahey, followed by traditional music, song, and stepdancing at the 26th Annual Irish Evening, Jim Rouse Theatre.

April 14, 2004 Bill’s Buddies

• 10 a.m. Four actors from the Folger Shakespeare Library performing scenes for 643 county eighth-graders, Reservoir High School auditorium.

November 2004 to April 2005 Michael Glaser

• As HoCoPoLitSo’s poet-in-residence, Glaser read and discussed poetry with more than 820 students from Howard County’s (then) eleven public high schools.

November 14, 2004 Lucille Clifton, Michael Collier, Michael Glaser, Linda Pastan and Reed Whittemore

• 4 p.m. Five Maryland Poets Laureate read from their work and that of friend and colleague, the late Ronald Flint, in celebration of HoCoPoLitSo’s 30th Anniversary and in honor of founder Ellen Conroy Kennedy, Howard Community College.

November 18, 2004 David Barrett

• 7:30 p.m. HoCoPoLitSo’s Board Chair, along with Saundra Barrett and Deputy Director Pamela Simonson, represented HoCoPoLitSo at a Tribute to Lucille Clifton, Kaye Playhouse, New York. Co-sponsored with the Poetry Society of America.

2005

February 25, 2005 Michael Coady

• 7:30 p.m. Coady read his poetry, introduced by Irish ambassador His Excellency Noel Fahey, followed by traditional Irish music with musicians Dominick Murray, Linda Hickman, Tony DeMarco, Terry Winch, Jesse Winch, and Grace Griffith and stepdancers Maura Hodgetts and Caitlin Golding at the 27th Annual Irish Evening, Jim Rouse Theatre.

April 11, 2005 Michael Glaser

• 1 p.m. In cooperation with the Division of English/World Languages, Glaser read to Howard Community College students and others, Burrill Galleria.

April 14, 2005 Bill’s Buddies

• 10 a.m. Four actors from the Folger Shakespeare Library performed scenes for more than 700 middle school students, Jim Rouse Theatre.

May 6, 2005 Edward P. Jones

• 8 p.m. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author read from The Known World and entertained questions from an audience of 108, Burrill Galleria, Howard Community College.

June 19, 2005 Dr. Raymond Dobard, Katie Davenport, Wylene Burch

• 3 p.m. Author Dobard, gospel singer Davenport, and executive director of the Howard County Center of African-American Culture Burch served on a panel called “Signifying Freedom,” about the secret codes of the Underground Railroad, in partnership with the Howard County Library and the Howard County Center for African America Culture in the Columbia Festival of the Arts, Howard County Central Library.

October 2005 to March 2006 Kendra Kopelke

• As HoCoPoLitSo’s fourteenth poet-in-residence, Kopelke read her poetry and discussed the process of writing poetry with more than 765 students in Howard County’s public high schools.

October 6, 2005 Sherman Alexie

• In the afternoon, the poet, novelist and humorist read and performed to an overflow audience, followed by an evening screening of Smoke Signals, based upon Alexie’s novel Reservation Blues, Howard Community College.

November 19, 2005 Anne Barney, Ann Bracken, Mike Clark and Brendan Donegan

• 4 p.m. Read from their work in “Speaking of Healing,” Tai Sophia Institute. Funded in part by the Horizon Foundation. These writers and a few others in attendance decided just after the event to bring back the Little Patuxent Review. Its relaunch stemmed from this reading.

2006

February 24, 2006 Anne Enright

• 7:30 p.m. The Dublin author and broadcast journalist read from her work, introduced by Irish Ambassador His Excellency Noel Fahey, followed by traditional Irish music with musicians from Celtic Thunder and Narrowbacks Dominick Murray, Linda Hickman, Tony DeMarco, Terry Winch, and Jesse Winch and stepdancers Maura Hodgetts and Caitlin Golding at the 28th Annual Irish Evening, Jim Rouse Theatre.

March 29, 2006 Kendra Kopelke

• HoCoPoLitSo’s poet-in-residence, in cooperation with Howard Community College, read to HCC students and the public, Burrill Galleria.

April 29, 2006 Bill’s Buddies

• 10 a.m. Four actors from the Folger Shakespeare Library performed scenes from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, As You Like It and other plays for more than 300 middle school students, Marriotts Ridge High School.

April 20, 2006 Linda Pastan

• 4 p.m. The former Maryland Poet Laureate, reading with colleague Jean Nordhaus for National Poetry Month, substituting for Maxine Kumin, who was not able to attend because of health problems, The Meeting House, Columbia.

June 11 2006 Karen Arnold and Komozi Woodard

• 3 p.m. Poet Arnold and historian Woodard, acting as discussion panelists after a screening of Voices in Wartime, a documentary that illuminates war through the light of poetry as part of the Columbia Festival of the Arts, Howard County Central Library.

June 17, 2006 Robert Sabuda

• 3 p.m. In cooperation with the Columbia Festival of the Arts and the Howard County Library, the author and pop-up book artist talked and led a workshop for 200 adults and children at Howard Community College.

June 24, 2006 Langston Hughes Project

• 7:30 p.m. A jazz music and multi-media presentation of Langston Hughes’ poetry, as part of the Columbia Festival of the Arts.

April 19, 2006 Bill’s Buddies

• 10 a.m. Four actors from the Folger Shakespeare Library performed scenes for 300 students from Burleigh Manor Middle School and Mariotts Ridge High School.

April 21, 2006 Jenny O’Grady

• The poet and visual artist offered a poetry workshop to students, Glenelg Country School.

October 2006 to March 2007 Gayle Danley

• As HoCoPoLitSo’s poet-in-residence, Danley visited more than 1,000 students from eleven of Howard County’s public high schools and discussed the process of slam poetry.

October 13, 2006 Dr. Gordon Livingston

• 7:30 p.m. Local psychiatrist and writer read and discussed his work, Slayton House, Wilde Lake Village Center.

November 4, 2006 Lucille Clifton

• 4 p.m. The award-winning poet and former Maryland Poet Laureate read from her collections, Monteabaro Recital Hall.

2007

February 9, 2007 Paul Muldoon

• 7:30 p.m. The Pulitzer Prize-winning poet read from his newest collection, Horse Latitudes, followed by traditional Irish music from musicians Dominick Murray, Linda Hickman, Tony DeMarco, Terry Winch, Jesse Winch, singers Nita and Eileen Conley and stepdancer Maura Hodgetts at the 29th Annual Irish Evening, Jim Rouse Theatre.

March 27, 2007 Bill’s Buddies

• 10 a.m. Four actors from the Folger Shakespeare Library performed scenes for more than 600 middle school students, Marriotts Ridge High.

April 23, 2007 Gayle Danley

• The 15th poet-in-residence and slam poet champion presented her work to Howard Community College students and the general public, Monteabaro Recital Hall.

May 23, 2007 David Mura

• 12 p.m. Poet and author of Turning Japanese led a luncheon themed “Creativity and Leadership,” Kittleman Room at Howard Community College.

June 10, 2007 Gayle Danley

• As part of the 2007 Columbia Festival of the Arts free Lakefest, Danley led a free afternoon poetry slam.

June 21, 2007 Carrie Brown

• 4:30 p.m. Read from her new novel, The Rope Walk, as part of the Columbia Festival of the Arts, during high tea, Historic Oakland.

August 31, 2007 Grace Cavalieri

• Poet and host of the Library of Congress radio program “The Poet and the Poem,” Cavalieri read her work and spoke to English teachers at the county’s professional development day, Long Reach High School.

September 27 to 28, 2007 Jean L. Connor

• Connor read from her poetry collection, A Cartography of Peace, and engaged in a question and answer session at the Riderwood Community in Silver Spring, Maryland, and the next day was joined by local poets Barbara Gallagher, Natalie Lobe, and Patricia VanAmburg for a poetry reading at the Bain Center in Columbia.

Fall 2007 Truth Thomas

• As HoCoPoLitSo’s sixteenth poet-in-residence, Thomas visited nearly 1,200 students at eleven Howard County high schools and the Homewood Center, the county’s alternative school.

October 7, 2007 Jane Hirshfield and Tim Singleton

• 3 p.m. Hirshfield read her poetry and answered questions at “Poetry by Nature, A Family Affair,” while children of audience members hiked and learned haiku from poet Tim Singleton at the Howard County Conservancy.

December 14, 2007 Bill’s Buddies

• 10 a.m. Four actors from the Folger Shakespeare Library performed scenes for students from Clarksville, Harpers Choice, Patapsco, and Wilde Lake middle schools, Marriotts Ridge High School.

2008

February 8, 2008 Eavan Boland

• 7:30 p.m. Read her poetry, introduced by Irish Ambassador His Excellency Michael Collins, with a prelude by bagpiper Jared Denhard and followed by traditional Irish music with musicians from Celtic Thunder and Narrowbacks Dominick Murray, Linda Hickman, Tony DeMarco, Terry Winch, Jesse Winch, Rachel Karack, and Margaret Tomlin at the 30th Annual Irish Evening, Spear Center.

March 13, 2008 Nikki Giovanni

• 7 p.m. Giovanni read her poetry and revisited the Civil Rights era with personal stories of Rosa Parks, following a reception with her sorority Delta Sigma Theta, in the Rouse Company Student Services Building. In partnership with Howard Community College.

April 27, 2008 Komozi Woodard, the Rev. Ambrose Lane and Jean Toomer

• 2 to 4 p.m. Writer and historian Woodard, radio talk show host Lane, and local activist Toomer, acting as panelists, leading a discussion called “Racism in America: 1968-2008,” Glenwood Senior Center.

June 26, 2008 Manil Suri

• 4:30 p.m. Read from his novels The Age of Shiva and The Death of Vishnu following a high tea as part of the Columbia Festival of the Arts, Great Room at the Historic Savage Mill.

October 5, 2008 Joy Harjo

• 3 p.m. Musician, poet and member of the Muscogee/Creek Nation reading poetry and performing music at “Poetry by Nature, A Family Affair,” while children of audience members hiked and wrote haiku, taught by Timothy Singleton, Howard County Conservancy.

December 2008 to March 2009 Elizabeth “Liz” Rees

• As poet-in-residence, Rees visited 500 students from twelve county high schools and the Homewood Center. December 12, 2008 Bill’s Buddies
• 10 a.m. Four actors from the Folger Shakespeare Library performed scenes for middle school students from Bonnie Branch, Dunloggin, and Elkridge Landing, and for students from Marriotts Ridge High School.

2009

February 20, 2009 Frank McCourt

• 7:30 p.m. Pulitzer Prize-winning memoirist, reading his work to a sold-out audience, introduced by Irish Ambassador His Excellency Michael Collins, followed by traditional Irish music with Narrowbacks Linda Hickman, Brenda Mulvihill, Terence Winch, Jesse Winch, with Eileen Korn, along with stepdancers from the Culkin School of Dance at the 31st Annual Irish Evening, Jim Rouse Theatre.

March 26, 2009 Donna Hemans, Helen Elaine Lee, Thrity Umrigar

• 3 p.m. The three novelists read their work and discussed the craft of writing with Howard Community College students with a special appearance by Lucille Clifton, Monteabaro Recital Hall at HCC.

April 23, 2009 Truth Thomas

• During the school system’s Professional Development Day, poet-in-residence Thomas spoke to English and language arts teachers.

June 12 to 14, 2009 Bobbie Hinman, Janet Kusterer, Victoria Goeller, David Stebenne, Joseph Mitchell, Missy Burke, Robin Emrich, Barbara Kellner, Ned Tillman, Juan Thomas, Susan McCallum-Smith, Mary Downing Hahn, Sue Ellen Thompson

• In conjunction with the Columbia Festival of the Arts and the Columbia Archives, HoCoPoLitSo debuted BookFest at LakeFest with a weekend of readings from local and children’s authors.

June 15, 2009 Sue Ellen Thompson

• 7 p.m. Taught “Poetry as Autobiography,” a master class that focused on autobiographical poetry and writing to include the reader, Monteabaro Recital Hall.

June 23, 2009 Laura Lippman

• 7 p.m. For the Columbia Festival of the Arts’ literary finale, HoCoPoLitSo cosponsored a wine and cheese reception and a reading with the Baltimore mystery writer, Rouse Company Foundation Student Services Hall at Howard Community College.

September 27, 2009 James McBride

• 4 p.m. Author of Song Yet Sung read his work and answered audience questions in a One Maryland One Book presentation. Co-sponsored with the Maryland Humanities Council and Howard County civic and faith-based organizations, Bridgeway Community Church.

October 2009 to February 2010 Terence Winch

• As poet-in-residence Winch read his work and discussed poetry at the twelve county public high schools, Homewood Center and Howard Community College.

October 4, 2009 Donald Hall

• 3 p.m. The former National Poet Laureate read his work and answered audience questions. Introduced by poet Elizabeth Spires, Monteabaro Recital Hall, Howard Community College.

October 15, 2009 Wylene Burch and Susan Thornton Hobby

• 7:30 p.m. Book discussion with HoCoPoLitSo board member Hobby and Burch, the executive director of the Howard County Center for African-American Culture, about Song Yet Sung by James McBride.

October 20, 2009 Julie Otsuka

• 7:30 p.m. As part of the Howard County Book Connection, Otsuka read from and spoke about her novel When the Emperor Was Divine, Smith Theatre. In partnership with Howard County Library and Howard Community College.

December 11, 2009 Bill’s Buddies

• 10 a.m. More than 600 middle school students watched a troupe of actors from the Folger Shakespeare Library perform scenes at Marriotts Ridge High School.