Poetry & Music by Matthew Klane / Thea Brown / Sylvia Jones / Rod Smith

An evening of poetry and music at Rhizome DC brings together poet, collage artist, and songwriter Matthew Klane with poets Thea Brown, Sylvia Jones, and Rod Smith. The program features readings and musical work by Klane, alongside poetry from three writers connected to the Baltimore and Washington, D.C., literary communities.

Klane studied in the Buffalo Poetics program and at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. He co-founded and served for many years as co-editor of Film Forum Press, and has published poetry collections including *Of the Day* (2025), *Hist* (with James Belflower, 2022), *Canyons* (with James Belflower, 2016), *Che* (2013), and *B* (2008). His e-book *My* is available through FENCE. He moved into songwriting in 2025, releasing *Too Little Too Late*, followed by *Sunshine Committee* in March 2026. He lives and writes in Albany, New York, and co-curates the Salon Salvage poetry and performance series.

Thea Brown is the author of three poetry collections, most recently *Loner Forensics* from Northwestern University Press in 2023. Her recent and forthcoming work has appeared in publications including *Bennington Review*, *Kenyon Review*, and *Oversound*. Brown lives in Baltimore and teaches creative writing at George Washington University.

Sylvia Jones is a Baltimore-based poet who also teaches creative writing at George Washington University. She serves as poetry editor for Black Lawrence Press and as a senior reader for *Ploughshares*. Her debut collection, *Television Fathers*, was published by Meekling Press in 2024, and her next book, *Dope Callisthenics*, is forthcoming from Relegation Books. Her work has appeared in *DIAGRAM*, *Smartish Pace*, *Shenandoah*, *R&R Journal*, *Blackbird*, *The American Poetry Review*, and other publications. She holds an M.F.A. from American University.

Rod Smith is the author of *Touché* (2015), *Deed* (2007), *Music or Honesty* (2003), and *The Good House* (2001). He edits the journal *Aerial*, publishes through Edge Books, and manages Bridge Street Books in Washington, D.C. His teaching experience includes the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, the Maryland Institute College of Art, and the Corcoran College of Art + Design. He co-edited *The Selected Letters of Robert Creeley* with Kaplan Harris and Peter Baker.

When: Wednesday, November 11, 2026

Showtimes: 7:00 PM–10:00 PM

Tickets: $10–20

Venue: Rhizome DC

Lineup: Matthew Klane, Thea Brown, Sylvia Jones, and Rod Smith

Genres: Poetry and music