“Smith brings great intelligence and sensitivity to her poems, leading readers deeper into other people’s stories–and ultimately into their own humanity.” — The Washington Post
TRACY K. SMITH
IN CONVERSATION
With Tina Chang
Photo Credit: Andrew Kelly
Monday, March 3, 2025 at 8:00pm
Samueli Theater
COSTA MESA, CA | Segerstrom Center for the Arts is thrilled to present the renowned American poet Tracy K. Smith in an engaging conversation with esteemed moderator Tina Chang. As part of the Center’s dynamic In Conversation series featuring contemporary American authors and poets, this event promises to be a thought-provoking evening of stimulating and educational discussion, on Monday, March 3 at 8:00pm. Tickets are now on sale at scfta.org.
Since first being published in 2003, Tracy K. Smith has been a writer to watch. Smith’s collection of poetry, “Life on Mars,” won the Pulitzer Prize, and her memoir, “Ordinary Light,” was a finalist for the National Book Award for Nonfiction.
Regardless of what style she chooses to pursue, her language is forceful, intelligent, and musical. Throughout her career, she has used her craft to frankly ask the questions that have intrigued her the most about our world. Her poems, which delight in humanity’s sprawling yet thrilling range of emotions—love and grief, desire and rage, joy, and hope—often find the political within the personal, beckoning readers to engage with their own curiosities about the narratives they’ve been told about racism, power, and justice.
Like the best poets, Smith shows her readers that they share a common foundation and questions how that foundation was laid. Dwelling in the threshold between history and the present, Smith has been called our “country’s poetic caretaker,” calling for both collective reckoning and collective empathy.
A passionate educator and advocate, Smith served two terms as Poet Laureate of the United States, during which time she traveled across America, hosting poetry readings and conversations in rural communities. She currently is a professor of English and African and African American studies at Harvard.
Moderating the Q&A will be Tina Chang, an American poet, educator, and editor. She was the first woman to be named Poet Laureate of Brooklyn, and she served in this role for over a decade. A graduate of Columbia University’s MFA program, she is the author of three critically acclaimed collections: “Hybrida” (W. W. Norton, May 2019), “Of Gods & Strangers” (Four Way Books, 2011), and “Half-Lit Houses” (Four Way Books, 2004).
She is Full Professor of English and Director of Creative Writing at her alma mater, Binghamton University, where she also oversees initiatives under the Binghamton Center for Writers.
Tickets for Tracy K. Smith IN CONVERSATION start at $44.07 and are available for purchase online at scfta.org, in person at 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, and by phone at (714) 556-2787. For inquiries about group ticket discounts of 10 or more, call the Group Services offices at (714) 755-0236.
Tracy K. Smith
In Conversation with Tina Chang
Monday, March 3, 2025 at 8pm
Segerstrom Center for the Arts
Samueli Theater
Tickets start at $44.07
Box Office
In person –
Box Office
600 Town Center Drive
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Monday 10 am to 2 pm
Tuesday through Friday 12 pm to 5 pm
Saturday and Sunday: Closed
Phone – Monday – Friday 10 am to 5 pm
714.556.2787
Online – SCFTA.org
Group Sales – 714.755.0236
About Segerstrom Center for the Arts
Segerstrom Center for the Arts® is an innovative nonprofit organization that champions artistic excellence and fosters a vibrant, inclusive community in Orange County through the transformative power of live performance. As the region’s leading cultural hub, the Center offers a diverse array of programming, featuring international dance companies, Broadway national tours, jazz and cabaret musicians, and an engaging speaker series. Its Education and Community Engagement departments present family-friendly events on the picturesque Julianne and George Argyros Plaza, including outdoor movie screenings, concerts, and lively festivals.
With six stunning venues nestled within a beautiful multi-disciplinary campus, the Center is home to the region’s most esteemed performing arts organizations, including the Pacific Symphony, Philharmonic Society of Orange County and Pacific Chorale as well as two independently acclaimed organizations: Tony Award®-winning South Coast Repertory and Orange County Museum of Art. Segerstrom Center is also home to the American Ballet Theatre William J. Gillespie School and Studio D: Arts School for All Abilities.
The Center continues to uphold the vision of its founder, Henry Segerstrom, remaining true to its mission as the premier arts in Orange County since its inception in 1986 as Orange County Performing Arts Center®.
Segerstrom Center for the Arts applauds its corporate partner Kaiser Permanente, Official Heath Care Partner, and recognizes Lido Village Books, its independent bookstore partner for the In Conversation series.
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