Forget Why Poetry Series - Heather Fuller & Rod Smith

Forget Why Poetry Series presents poets Heather Fuller and Rod Smith in a shared reading at Rhizome DC. Smith is a poet, editor, publisher, bookseller, and longtime participant in Washington’s literary community, while Fuller’s work includes poetry and essays addressing writing and culture, informed by her careers in nonprofit work, public relations, healthcare, and animal advocacy.

Smith’s books include *Touché*, *Deed*, *Music or Honesty*, and *The Good House*. He edits the journal *Aerial*, publishes through Edge Books, manages Bridge Street Books in Washington, DC, and has taught at The Iowa Writers’ Workshop, the Maryland Institute College of Art, and the Corcoran College of Art + Design. He also co-edited *The Selected Letters of Robert Creeley* with Kaplan Harris and Peter Baker.

Fuller is the author of *perhaps this is a rescue fantasy*, *Dovecote*, *Startle Response*, and *Dick Cheney’s Heart*. Her work has appeared in *out of everywhere: linguistically innovative poetry by women*, *Women in the Avant Garde*, and *#MeToo Poetry Collective*. Her essays on writing and culture are published at StartleResponse.com. After three decades in nonprofit, PR, and healthcare work in Washington, DC, and Baltimore, she returned to North Carolina, where she works as a cardiac registered nurse and participates in local animal-advocacy networks.

When: Saturday, September 19, 2026

Showtimes: 7:00 PM–10:00 PM

Tickets: $10–$20

Lineup: Heather Fuller and Rod Smith

Venue: Rhizome DC