The Hour: Poetry Open Mic — Created and hosted by poet María Fernanda

On Thursday evening, August 6, 2026, Politics and Prose at Union Market hosts “The Hour: Poetry Open Mic,” a one-hour open mic series created and hosted by Washington, D.C.–based poet María Fernanda. The event is an inclusive literary gathering where writers of all kinds are invited to share their work aloud, whether it is poetry, song lyrics, rap, monologue, spoken word, or positive affirmation. María Fernanda describes the start of a new year as a time when early drafts and first writings rise like callus tissue into a garden shaped by experience and conversation, with each line reviving a leaf, stem, or root. The event welcomes work at any creative stage, from brand-new fragments and rough drafts to polished, published pieces, and keeps each reader to roughly three minutes so the evening can accommodate as many voices as possible. The program is free, with first come, first served seating, and takes place in the bookstore’s Union Market location.

When: Thursday, August 6, 2026, at 7:00 p.m.

Venue: Politics and Prose at Union Market, 1324 4th Street NE, Washington, DC 20002.

Tickets: Free admission with first come, first served seating.

Sign-up: Readers sign up on-site to participate; each reader has approximately 3 minutes to share their work.

Format: The event is a one-hour open mic series designed to feature as many readers as possible in a supportive, creative environment.

Host: María Fernanda (she/hers), an award-winning poet from Washington, D.C., whose work explores sisterhood, intergenerational connection, and grief. She is the recipient of the Norma Elia Cantú Award in Creative Writing, and her work has appeared in The Healing Verse Poetry Line, Cave Canem’s Dogbytes, and Cheryl Clarke’s born in a bed of good lessons: poems inspired by the works of Lucille Clifton. She also founded a poetry garden project connecting Black poets and gardeners through their creative and historic ties to gardens.

What to share: Poems, songs, raps, monologues, positive affirmations, and other literary or performance forms. María Fernanda views poetry as existing in many forms, including spoken word, blues, performance and theatre, and hip-hop, and she welcomes literary work at any creative stage.

Accessibility: To request accommodations or inquire about accessibility, email events@politics-prose.com, ideally one week before the event date; the venue will make an effort to accommodate requests up until the event begins.