A talented community of Black writers have thrived in Washington\, DC for over 100 years\, nurturing a r ich tradition of African American intellectualism and literature predating the Harlem Renaissance. In \;No More Worlds to Conquer\, local poet \;Brian Gilm ore \;shares this history\, writes his own life story as a poet in DC\ , and makes the case for the nation&rsquo\;s capital as a center of Americ an literature.
\nDuring this book talk\, Gilmore\, in conversation H olly Bass\, will trace the literary life\, politics\, and influence of DC& rsquo\;s Black poets to understand the history and culture of the city. Wh ether you&rsquo\;re a poetry enthusiast\, DC scholar\, or interested in th e city&rsquo\;s Black culture and history&mdash\;this book talk is for you !
\n\nABOUT THE SPEAKERS
\;
B
orn and raised in Washington DC\, \;Brian Gilmore \;is the author
of four celebrated collections of poetry including \;Come See About Me
Marvin \;(Wayne State University Press)\, a Michigan Notable Book for
2020 and \;We Didn&rsquo\;t Know Any Gangsters \;(Cherry Castle P
ublishing LLC)\, a 2014 NAACP Image Award nominee \;and a 2015 Hurston
-Wright Legacy Award nominee. His latest book\, \;No More Worlds To Co
nquer: The Black Poet in Washington\, DC \;(Georgetown University Pres
s\, 2026) is a cultural history of the African American poetry scene in Wa
shington DC since the time of Paul Laurence Dunbar. A literary and legal s
cholar and public interest lawyer\, he served as Clinical Law Professor fo
r 16 years\, practiced public interest law for 25 years\, and is now Senio
r Lecturer in the Law and Society Program at the University of Maryland &n
dash\; College Park.
Holly Bass \;is a multidisciplinary perfo rmance artist\, choreographer\, and writer whose work explores themes of A merican history\, generational labor\, and liberation. Her mediums include dance\, theater\, poetry\, photography\, installation\, video and perform ance. Her work is in the permanent collections of the National Gallery of Art and the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. She is the 2025-2026 Ro man J. Witt Visiting Artist at the University of Michigan. Bass studied mo dern dance under Viola Farber and creative writing at Sarah Lawrence Colle ge before earning her MA in Journalism from Columbia University.
\nABOUT THE PARTNERS
\nFounded in 1894\, the&n bsp\;DC History Center \;deepens understanding of our city&rsquo\;s pa st to connect\, empower\, and inspire. As the only community-based nonprof it focused on the District&rsquo\;s history\, our vision is to engage with neighborhoods across DC and elevate the stories of Washington&rsquo\;s di verse people\, communities\, and institutions. The DC History Center&rsquo \;s \;collection \;is focused on local DC as opposed to federal Wa shington but encompasses the city limits and areas that have a direct rela tionship to individuals\, locations\, and events within the District\, inc luding historical connections with Maryland and Virginia. \;We are the caretakers of these materials\, donated by families\, organizations\, bus inesses\, neighborhoods\, and other communities that comprise Washington\, DC.
\nThe \;People&rsquo\;s Archive \;at DC Public Library is home to the dynamic collections that pr eserve and share the stories\, histories\, and voices of Washington\, D.C. &rsquo\;s diverse communities\, as well as the Black experience in the Uni tes States. It features materials&mdash\;such as photographs\, oral histor ies\, documents\, and more&mdash\;that highlight the vibrant local\, natio nal and international history of DMV residents\, grassroots movements\, an d cultural milestones\, making it a valuable resource for researchers\, hi storians\, and anyone interested in learning more about the city&rsquo\;s past and present.
\nREGISTRATION AND ACCESSIBILITY
\nRegistration is free\, and walk-ins are welcome.
Seat
ing \;is first come\, first served.
All books must be purchased t
hrough registration.
To request a reasonable accommodation for this p
rogram\, please contact \;DCPLaccess@dc.gov \;or call (202) 727-21
42.
We are committed to making events accessible for all participants
.