Language & Liberty: Poetry as Civic Inheritance with Tracy K. Smith

Saturday, April 11, 2026 | 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

$15.00 | Friedman Family Auditorium

History is never truly settled when the words that built it are still alive; yet in an age of division, our founding texts can often feel like a “dead” archive. Join Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Tracy K. Smith for an evening revisiting and reinterpreting the Declaration of Independence.

Drawing from her acclaimed erasure poetry and her new book Fear Less, Smith demonstrates how interacting with our founding documents allows us to uncover voices long silenced — transforming a static text into a living, breathing dialogue. Discover how the tools of the poet — attention, silence, and vulnerability — serve as our best defense against the “alienating technology of fear,” helping us reclaim the emotional resonance of American ideals for the 21st century.

Program tickets include access to a light standing reception, book signing, and meet & greet following the program. For questions or concerns regarding accessibility needs, please contact [email protected].