On November 19, 1974, the late Lucille Clifton joined Carolyn Kizer in headlining HoCoPoLitSo’s first-ever event, reading from their work and discussing their lives as writers to adult and student audiences in Wilde Lake. For many years after, Clifton (Maryland Poet Laureate 1978–1985, National Book Award for Poetry) was an artistic advisor to HoCoPoLitSo, instrumental in making connections with poets and creating meaningful programming. Since her passing in 2010, HoCoPoLitSo has honored its dearly departed friend at the annual Lucille Clifton Reading Series, which each year champions a literary topic or theme we feel Lucille would have been proud to support.
In 2025, please join us for:
In November of 1974, Lucille Clifton joined Carolyn Kizer to headline HoCoPoLitSo’s first-ever event, reading from their work and discussing their lives as writers to adult and student audiences in Wilde Lake. For the past year, HoCoPoLitSo has celebrated the full half-century since that day, an incredible 50 years of hosting several dozen more Nobel-, Pulitzer-, and National Book Award-winners here in Howard County, from beloved staple events like HoCoPoLitSo’s Irish Evening, to more recent initiatives like our partnership in the Howard County Poet Laureate and Youth Poet Laureate programs.
On behalf of HoCoPoLitSo’s current Board and staff, as well as all those dear friends, past and present, without whom we could never have achieved this milestone, we are deeply honored for the continuing opportunity to broaden the audience for contemporary poetry and literature, here at home and worldwide, and we hope you will join us for a special presentation of this year’s Lucille Clifton Reading Series, offered as a grand finale to HoCoPoLitSo’s 50th Anniversary Celebration at a Happiness Hour with Ross Gay on November 7, 2025, tickets available now.
📅 Friday, November 7
🕜 5:30 p.m. doors open, stage show at 6:30 (in-person)
📍 10901 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, MD 21044
Howard Community College’s Kahlert Foundation Complex, room 101
Join us in-person in the Large Meeting Room (KC 101) of Howard Community College’s newly-opened Kahlert Foundation Complex; free and ample parking directly adjoins the venue. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for an hour of light refreshments and music; a cash bar is offered for patrons aged 21 and older. Stage presentation begins at 6:30 p.m. with an introduction from the poet and former HoCoPoLitSo writer-in-residence Steven Leyva, whose filmed conversation with Ross will be available free through HoCoPoLitSo’s The Writing Life at a later date. After the show, book sales and signing is offered.
General admission is available while seating lasts for $25 per person, with discounted rates available for professional educators and currently-enrolled students. For questions or issues purchasing tickets, to request accommodations, or to discuss attendance by a larger group, please contact HoCoPoLitSo via e-mail to info@hocopolitso.org, or by phone call to (443) 518-4568.
All proceeds from the event support the live and recorded literary programs offered by HoCoPoLitSo for student and general audiences.
Ross Gay is interested in joy.
Ross Gay wants to understand joy.
Ross Gay is curious about joy.
Ross Gay studies joy.
Something like that.
Ross Gay is the author of four books of poetry: Against Which; Bringing the Shovel Down; Be Holding, winner of the PEN American Literary Jean Stein Award; and Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude, winner of the 2015 National Book Critics Circle Award and the 2016 Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award. In addition to his poetry, Ross has released three collections of essays—The Book of Delights was released in 2019 and was a New York Times bestseller; Inciting Joy was released in 2022, and his newest collection, The Book of (More) Delights was released in September of 2023.
Steven Leyva was born in New Orleans, Louisiana and raised in Houston, Texas. His poems have appeared in Smartish Pace, Scalawag, Nashville Review, jubilat, The Hopkins Review, Prairie Schooner, and Best American Poetry 2020. He is a Cave Canem fellow and author of the chapbook Low Parish and author of The Understudy’s Handbook which won the Jean Feldman Poetry Prize from Washington Writers Publishing House. His second book of poems, The Opposite of Cruelty, was published by Blair Publishing in Spring 2025. Steven holds an MFA from the University of Baltimore, where he is an associate professor, and co-director of the Klein Family Center of Communications Design.
Earlier that day, Steven will join Ross in the recording studio of Howard Community College’s Dragon Media to record an edition of The Writing Life: the acclaimed half-hour, writer-to-writer talk show produced by HoCoPoLitSo. Their conversation joins the more than 130 pairings of great literary minds, available free, world-wide through HoCoPoLitSo’s YouTube channel.
Unranked is a four-piece American roots rock band made up of musical ruffians blending layered guitars, mandolin and violin aiming to please the human soul. Unranked blends a mix of Irish and Americana sound with beautiful harmonies creating a unique brand of music. Core members include Aaron Lubliner-Walters (mandolin/vocals), Skyle Malcom (violin/vocals), Neal Barthleme (electric guitar/vocals), and Will Hill (accoustic guitar/vocals).
HoCoPoLitSo is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (FEIN 52-1146948) registered in the state of Maryland, donations to which are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. A copy of our current financial statement is available upon request. Documents and information submitted to the State of Maryland under the Maryland Charitable Solicitations Act are available from the Office of the Secretary of State for the cost of fees and postage.
HoCoPoLitSo is or has in the past fiscal year been supported by funds gratefully received from the Maryland State and Howard County Arts Councils; Howard County Government; Community Foundation of Howard County; Maryland Humanities; Dr. Lillian Bauder; and from other generous individual and corporate contributors. The artistic contents and opinions expressed at HoCoPoLitSo events do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of HoCoPoLitSo’s grantors, donors, or individual Board or staff members.
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