Kim Roberts

Jan 2026

Researching for Creativity: Practical Tips for DC-Area Writers, from the 1930s and Now
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm on Wednesday, January 21, 2026 at The Writer’s Center

How can real-world research foster your creative work and thinking? In connection with The People’s Recorder podcast, this conversation with three DMV writers starts from the experiences of writers in a Depression-era cultural experiment, the Federal Writers’ Project. And it comes up to now with views from writers today about how research and interviews feed their own creative work.

As heard in the People’s Recorder podcast, many emerging writers in the 1930s found their voices in community with peers on a government project intended to put people to work documenting American life and history. Young writers–including some who later grew to prominence including Margaret Walker, Tillie Olsen, Richard Wright, Ralph Ellison and John Cheever–honed skills in archival research, oral history interviews, and street-level research. Those skills also helped in shaping their distinctive voices in poetry, novels and nonfiction.

Participants will learn how those skills prove useful for writers and other creatives today. The event includes a creative exercise and examples of local resources.

Panelists: Kim Roberts (poetry and nonfiction), David Nicholson (fiction and history), and David Taylor (fiction and nonfiction). Free admission, register in advance online.

Feb 2026

Writers Reading Series at Anne Arundel CC
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm on Tuesday, February 10, 2026 at Anne Arundel Community College

Kim reads poems, followed by Q&A. Hosted by Dr. Garrett Brown. Free admission.

Poets in the Conversation Room
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm on Saturday, February 21, 2026 at St. John’s College Conversation Room

Kim and Michael Gushue read from Q&A for the End of the World. Followed by Q&A with the authors. Hosted by Grace Cavalieri. Free admission.

Mar 2026

Bay to Ocean Writers Conference
All Day on Saturday, March 14, 2026 at Chesapeake Community College

The 2026 Conference, sponsored by the Eastern Shore Writers Association, will include workshops, a keynote, readings, and a book fair. Kim will be part of the panel, “Not Islands: Poetry as Remedy for Isolation” with Traci Currey and Dan Vera. Fees charged; more information and registration available soon.

Saints & Sinners Festival
All Day on Friday, March 27, 2026 at Hotel Monteleone

Kim participates in the 23rd Annual Saints & Sinners LGBTQ+ Literary Festival, with a reading and a panel, “Writers and Publishers: Long-Term Relationships,” where she will discuss queer writers and editors who have created multiple books together. She will represent University of Virginia Press with her editor Mark Mones; other presenters include Rick Karlin and Ian Henzel (Rattling Good Yarns Press), and Gregg Shapiro and Dan Vera (Souvenir Spoon Books). The festival events include readings, a book fair, and parties. Admission charged; register online.

Apr 2026

Poetry at the Palisades
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm on Sunday, April 12, 2026 at The Palisades Apartments

Kim reads poems with Michael Gushue, followed by an open mic. Hosted by Sam Schmidt. Free admission.

Nov 2026

Thursdays with ESWA: The Delight of Pantoums
7:30 pm - 9:00 pm on Thursday, November 12, 2026 at

Kim leads a free online workshop, sponsored by the Eastern Shore Writers Association, “The Delight of Pantoums.” In this generative workshop, we will explore the surprises and delights of writing pantoums, an ancient Malayan form with repeating lines. Such heavy use of repetition is perfect for exploring obsessive subjects, and also helps us break the usual patterns in our writing. We will read some examples by master poets together, then write drafts of our own pantoums. Registration information coming soon!