Last month, the Beat published poems by writers from Writers in Baltimore Schools put together during the literacy-focused nonprofit’s Young Writers’ Summer Studio, a six-day writing camp held each year in August. Lisa Snowden-McCray and I have worked with the writers at the Summer Studio over the past three years (and have both joined the Community Board of WBS) holding journalism how-to sessions and generally, making ourselves available to answer questions on the writing and career sides of journalism.

The poems we published last month are among the many collected in the 2019 Baltimore Young Writers’ Summer Studio anthology which is finally available to purchase. You can buy it by donating $12 (that includes the $2 shipping) to WBS here and you can read some of the work below (and also check out WBS founder Patrice Hutton’s “Richard Macksey: The man who introduced Derrida to America—and inspired Writers in Baltimore Schools“).

“My City” by Abigail Mokuba

“Black Lives Matter” by Jahi Heath

“An Ode to My Brother” by Christian Pearson

“We Are” by Kenniah Woodson

“Self-Infested” by A.H. Berry

“Gray Shades of Justice” by Gerard Johnson

“Jumble Mumble my Mind Fumbles #1” by Kyra Smith

“Her” by Ernest Johns

“Who Do You Want To Be?” by Madyson Bassett

“Melanin” by Naiya Scott

The anthology features many more poems. And on Sunday, December 8 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at 2640 Space (2640 Saint Paul St.), WBS celebrates its tenth year anniversary. Tickets are $10.

Brandon Soderberg was the Director Of Operations and is a cofounder of Baltimore Beat. He is the coauthor of the book I Got a Monster. Previously, he was editor-in-chief of Baltimore City Paper. His work...