2025 Camden Festival of Poetry Keynote Speaker
Jane Hirshfield, award-winning poet, translator & essayist
Program Overview
Kickoff Tuesday May 13
Public Reading and welcome
6:00 - 8:00pm at the Camden Public Library 55 Main St . Limited seating, get there early!
Thursday, May 15
The Sonic Cafe: Singer-Songwriter Open Mic Hosted by Rory McBride
7:00 - 9:00pm in the Pilgrim Room, First Congregational Church of Camden, 55 Elm Street FREE and Open to the Public
Friday, May 16
“Information, Invitation & Insight: Transitions in Poems”, a Craft Talk with Jane Hirshfield • 2:00 - 4:00pm at the Camden Public Library 55 Main St. Tickets must be purchased for this event.
Poetry Open Mic 7:00 - 9:00pm. 30 spots available. Get on the list HERE.
Saturday, May 17
The Poetry Walk 10:00 - 11:00am Join a walk through Camden as Middle Schoolers from the Camden-Rockport Middle School read their poems which are part of the Poetry on Windows Project, led by Rory McBride. Meet at the Town Hall at 29 Elm Street at 10 am.
All other events on Saturday will take place at the Congregational Church at 55 Elm Street.
Welcome by Festival Chairs 1:00pm
Maine Poets & Musicians 1:10 - 2:10pm
Workshops 2:15 - 3:10. Sign up in-person. Scroll down to see the list of Workshops and presenters.
Refreshments and Book Fair 3:15 - 3:45pm
Awards presentations 4:00 - 4:15pm
Keynote address “Living by Poetry” with Jane Hirshfield.
“. . . poems move and change us. They bring hope. They bring community, inscribing into our thirst for connection poetry’s particular, compassionate compact, the inseparability of our own lives and the lives of others, of all that exists.”
–Jane Hirshfield, from Ten Windows
Meet the 2025 Festival Poets
A former Ireland Poetry Slam Champion, Beau performs poetry and teaches writing, focusing on issues of the heart. His two collections are: Nail Gun and a Love Letter and Things I Blindly Took As Gospel.
Maya Williams (ey/they/she)
Maya is a religious Black multiracial nonbinary suicide survivor who was selected as seventh poet laureate of Portland, ME (2021-2024).
Judy Kaber
Judy’s poems appear in a variety of journals. Winner of the 2023 Maine Poetry Contest, 2024 Maine Literary Poetry Award, and 2024 Naugatuck River Review Poetry Contest, she is a past poet laureate of Belfast, Maine (2021-2023).
Myronn is the author of Aurora Americana (Princeton University Press). His poems have appeared in the New York Times Magazine, Ploughshares, POETRY, The New Republic, The Georgia Review, The Baffler, and elsewhere. He teaches at Bates College.
Sal explores themes of memory and belonging, through her photography and poetry. Her work is exhibited internationally, with books held in collections throughout the country. She lives in Rockport, Maine.
Meet the 2025 Festival Performers
is a Maine-based musician/educator with roots in the Champlain Valley of Vermont. Ethan has been teaching, performing, and recording music, mainly in Vermont and midcoast Maine. He delights in playing with Elsie Gawler (“Elsie & Ethan”) and with the Gawler Sisters and Gawler Family.
was born and raised in rural Maine, learning traditional Bulgarian tunes from her paternal grandfather’s side of the family and reveling in singing American folk and roots songs with her friends. Her LP ‘When We Were Looking’ was released on Yep Rock records.
Super Poem! A Brief History of the Prose Poem and Some Practice
A brief look the Prose Poem: when/where it emerged and how it’s come to be seen as “new.” Participants will begin a prose poem. Sample poems, a reading list and prompts will be provided. Door prizes will be given.
2025 Workshops
Carol Willette Bachofner, author of 7 poetry collections, served as Rockland Poet Laureate 2012-2016. She says: Poetry is a living thing, always evolving but never losing sight of its parentage, its legacy.
Revving Up Your Poems
Like pesky children, poets are well-known for asking direct and rhetorical questions about the uncertainty of life. After discussing six short poems that ask who, what, where, when, or why, we will write and share questions to trigger new poems.
Kathleen Ellis’ latest collection Body of Evidence won the 2022 Grayson Books poetry prize. Recipient of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and Maine Arts Commission, she coordinates the annual POETS/SPEAK! in Bangor.
Going Deep and Wide with a Jane Hirshfield Poem
There are great rewards of staying with one poem. Using different entry points and various lenses, we’ll engage in close reading and deep listening. We’ll also pay attention to how the poem resonates in our lives.
Ellen Goldsmith reads, writes and teaches poetry. Her work has appeared in numerous journals and in anthologies. She’s published four chapbooks. Professor emeritus of the City University of New York, she lives in Cushing Maine.
Exploring the Pantoum
The pantoum, a Malaysian poetic form, guides the poetic imagination through repetition and emotion. With poems by Natasha Trethewey, Natalie Diaz, and A.E. Stallings as examples, we‘ll experiment with our own making of a pantoum.
Myronn Hardy is the author of, most recently, Aurora Americana (Princeton University Press). His poems have appeared in the New York Times Magazine, Ploughshares, POETRY, The New Republic, and elsewhere. He teaches at Bates College.
Exploring Memory and Imagery in Poetry
Through guided prompts and creative exercises, participants will craft vivid, sensory-rich poems inspired by meaningful objects, memories, and emotions., thus exploring the connection of sensory writing and emotional reflection.
Artist Sal Taylor Kydd explores themes of memory and belonging, through her photography and poetry. Her work is exhibited internationally, with books held in prestigious collections throughout the country. She lives in Rockport, Maine.
Converting the Poem Into Song
Using a participatory approach, we will explore the songwriting process from the poet’s perspective. With key concepts in music theory, we’ll set a foundation for poets to begin applying their craft in a musical setting.
Ethan Stokes Tischler is a Hope-based musician, educator, and musical engineer. He teaches and performs around Maine and New England with the trio Springtide, the duo Elsie & Ethan, and the Gawler Family Band.
Not All is Lost: An Exploration of Blackout & Found Poetry
What is the artistic purpose of erasure? How does found documentation online or in print benefit poetry? Inspired by poems by Nicole Sealey, Cameron Awkward-Rich, and Brittany Rogers, join us in this sampler of Blackout and Found Poetry.
Maya Williams (ey/they/she) is a religious Black multiracial nonbinary suicide survivor who was selected as Portland, ME’s seventh poet laureate from July 2021 to July 2024.
NOTE: Registration for all Workshops will be in person on Saturday May 17 at the First Congregational Church in Camden.