The Business of Poetry and Standing on Business with Mahogany L. Browne

​Poetry is an artistic endeavor, but is it ever a career? In this keynote, we address the realities of being a successful poet, focusing on publishing and performing, teaching and freelancing, and the power of online presences. Discover how to navigate the world of literature and have several streams of income without compromising your artistic integrity. Join us as we investigate ways to expand your readership and help you turn your passion for poetry into a viable and fulfilling career.

—

Mahogany L. Browne, a Kennedy Center's Next 50 fellow and MacDowell Arts Advocacy Awardee, is a writer, playwright, organizer, & educator. Browne received fellowships from All Arts, Arts for Justice, Air Serenbe, Baldwin for the Arts, Carolyn Moore Writing Residency, Cave Canem, Hawthornden, Poets House, Mellon Research, Rauschenberg, Wesleyan University, & UCross. Browne’s books include Vinyl Moon, Chlorine Sky (optioned for a play by Steppenwolf Theater), Black Girl Magic, and banned books Woke: A Young Poet’s Call to Justice and Woke Baby. Founder of the diverse lit initiative Woke Baby Book Fair, Browne currently tours Chrome Valley (highlighted in Publishers Weekly and The New York Times) and is the 2024 Paterson Poetry Prize winner. Mahogany L. Browne holds an honorary Doctor of Philosophy degree awarded by Marymount Manhattan College, and is the inaugural poet-in-residence at Lincoln Center.