The Vanderbilt Reading Series: Max McDonough and Kiyoko Reidy, Poetry

Come listen, connect, and be inspired by the unique voices and stories of these exceptional writers. They will read excerpts from their debut poetry collections. It’s a must-attend event for poetry lovers and friends of the Vanderbilt community. Don’t miss out on this chance to experience some powerful readings up close!

6:30 - Literary Salon

7:00 - Reading

8:00 - Book Signing

Special Collections and University Archives

1101 19th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37212

Max McDonough's debut poetry collection,, won the St. Lawrence Book Award from Black Lawrence Press. His poetry has been published in AGNI, Ecotone, Northwest Review, Best New Poets, The Adroit Journal, Alaska Quarterly Review, Beloit Poetry Journal, and elsewhere, including a feature in T Magazine, guest edited by Danez Smith, in which Jim Parsons performed his poem on video alongside other poets and cast members of The Boys in the Band. His prose has been nominated for a James Beard Award, and has appeared in The New York Times, Food52, On the Seawall, and Flipboard’s ‘10 for Today,’ among others. McDonough earned his MFA from Vanderbilt University and his BA from the University of Virginia.

Kiyoko Reidy is a writer and educator from East Tennessee. She released her latest collection in April 2025, titled. Her writing has appeared in the Cincinnati Review, Palette Poetry, Frontier Poetry, Four Way Review, and elsewhere. She has served as the Editor-in-Chief for the Nashville Review and Poetry Editor for the Madison Review. Reidy received her BS from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her MFA from Vanderbilt University in Nashville. She currently lives in Fort Collins, Colorado, where she is active in the local poetry community.

The Gertrude C. and Harold S. Vanderbilt Reading Series is named in honor of Vanderbilt founder Cornelius Vanderbilt’s great-grandson and his wife. Each semester, the series brings several professional writers to campus to read from their works and visit classes. This unique and extraordinary program gives English department students and faculty, the Vanderbilt community, and Nashville’s citizens a chance to meet and talk with some of the best writers of our day.

For more information about the Vanderbilt Reading Series and to sign up for our e-mail announcement list, please visit our website. Additionally, make sure to follow us on Instagram at @vandycreativewriting for more updates on events!

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