NO MORE WORLDS TO CONQUER | A Busboys and Poets Books Presentation

Washington, DC, has long been home to a dynamic and vibrant African American literary community, despite often being overshadowed by the literary worlds of New York and Chicago. In No More Worlds to Conquer, the local poet Brian Gilmore uncovers the buried legacy of Black poets in Washington. He traces the literary life and politics of Black poets in the nation's capital since Paul Laurence Dunbar, showing how well-known American poets, such as Sterling Brown and Jean Toomer, were mentored in DC by poets like May Miller and Georgia Douglas Johnson and making the case for the city as a center of American literature.

Gilmore draws on meticulous research, personal interviews, and his own deep knowledge of the local literary community to connect generations of writers and document a poetic community that transcends Washington. He reveals the intricate intersections, networks, and influences that have shaped the city's poets and how they have influenced American poetry for a century.

More than a historical account, No More Worlds to Conquer is a personal exploration that bridges the past and the present. Gilmore, who was born and raised in DC, illuminates this history and reflects on his own place in its literary tradition. This multigenerational account will resonate with poetry enthusiasts, local DC scholars, and anyone interested in the rich traditions of African American literature.

Brian G. Gilmore is joining us on the Busboys stage alongside David Nicholson. Copies of the book will be available for purchase during and after the event, and Gilmore will be signing following the program.

This event is free and open to all. Our program begins at 6:00 pm, and will be followed by an audience Q&A. Copies of NO MORE WORLDS TO CONQUER will be available for purchase before and after the event. Please note that this event is in person.

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Brian G. Gilmore is the author of four books of poetry--elvis presley is alive and well and living harlem; Jungle Nights and Soda Fountain Rags: Poem for Duke Ellington; We Didn't Know Any Gangsters, an NAACP Image Award nominee and a Hurston-Wright Legacy Award nominee; and come see about me marvin, a Michigan Notable Book Award recipient. He is a public interest lawyer and a senior lecturer at the University of Maryland - College Park.

David Nicholson is a former editor and book reviewer for The Washington Post Book World. He is the author of Flying Home: Seven Stories of the Secret City, which National Book Award-winner Charles Johnson called “beautifully written, wise, and moving.” The Los Angeles Times included it in a list of books that “show us where to find the real America,” and it was listed in Publishers Weekly’s “7 Essential Washington, D.C., Books (That Aren’t About Politics).” His most recent book is The Garretts of Columbia.

David has worked as a journalist for the Dayton (Ohio) Daily News and the San Francisco and Milwaukee bureaus of the Associated Press. He was the founding editor of the magazine Black Film Review.

He attended Haverford College before graduating from the University of the District of Columbia, and holds an MFA from the University of Iowa Writers Workshop.

David lives in Vienna, Va., with his wife and son. He is working on a second family history, which begins with his grandparents’ move to Washington, D.C., as part of the Great Migration.

BOOK DETAILS

No More Worlds to Conquer

The Black Poet in Washington, DC

By Brian Gilmore

February 02, 2026 | Paperback, 256 pages $29.95

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