The Green Mountain Writers Group launches a new weekly Friday lunch where poets, writers, readers, and lovers of language can reconnect over food, conversation, and the spoken word.
Enjoy Lunch with the Poets at the Innovation Café
For many writers, poetry isn’t meant to live only on a page. It’s meant to be spoken aloud, shared across a table, and experienced in the company of others. When the pandemic interrupted in-person gatherings, Vermont’s literary community adapted as best it could. Virtual meetings helped people stay connected, but they could never replace the conversations, friendships, and unexpected moments that happen when people gather face to face.
This summer, the Green Mountain Writers Group is helping bring that experience back. Every Friday, poets, writers, readers, and lovers of language are invited to gather for Lunch with the Poets at the Innovation Café in Burlington. It’s an opportunity to enjoy lunch, meet new people, share a favorite poem or an original work, and reconnect with Vermont’s creative community in a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere.
Poetry Is Meant to Be Shared
Poetry has always been part of community life. Long before books and literary journals, poems were shared around family tables, at community gatherings, and among friends. They made people laugh, think, remember, and imagine. Lunch with the Poets hopes to re-invoke that tradition.
This isn’t a formal workshop or critique session. There are no assignments and no pressure to perform. Some people bring original work. Others read a favorite poem by another author. Many simply come to enjoy lunch, listen, and discover new voices. Whether you’ve been writing for years or have never attended a poetry gathering before, you’ll find yourself among friends.
A Gathering Place with a Purpose
The setting is part of what makes this gathering special. The Innovation Café, located at 128 Lakeside Avenue, Suite 102 in Burlington, is more than a neighborhood café. Operated as a social enterprise, it provides meaningful employment and job training opportunities for people who are blind or visually impaired while serving fresh lunches, coffee, snacks, and conversation in a welcoming community setting.
During the summer months, participants may gather indoors or enjoy the café’s outdoor picnic tables, creating a relaxed atmosphere for conversation, poetry, and new friendships. By meeting here each week, the Green Mountain Writers Group is also supporting a local organization whose mission is to build community through opportunity and inclusion.
What to Expect
11:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Lunch & Conversation
Arrive, order lunch, meet fellow writers and readers, and enjoy informal conversation before the readings begin.
12:15 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Open Poetry Readings
Participants are invited to share one or two poems, either original work or favorites by other poets. Readings are generally limited to three to five minutes so everyone has an opportunity to participate.
1:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.
Meet the Poets & Networking
Stay a little longer to continue conversations, exchange ideas, and build new friendships within Vermont’s creative community.
Everyone Is Welcome
One of the best things about Lunch with the Poets is how easy it is to participate. You don’t have to call yourself a poet or need publishing credits. You don’t even have to read aloud. Simply bring your appetite, your curiosity, and your love of words. Whether you come to share a poem or simply enjoy listening, you’ll find an open seat and a welcoming community. Attendance is free. Food and beverages are available for purchase from the Innovation Café. An RSVP is appreciated so we can reserve enough seating, but friends and first-time visitors are always welcome.
Join Us This Friday
The Green Mountain Writers Group believes that writing flourishes in community. After years when so much of life moved online, there’s something refreshing about gathering around a table, sharing lunch, listening to poetry, and enjoying conversations that continue long after the last poem has been read. If you’ve been looking for an opportunity to reconnect with Vermont’s literary community, we’d love to have you join us. Bring your appetite ands a favorite poem. We’ll save you a seat.
Choose from a great menu at very affordable prices
Stephen Kastner writes essays, science fiction, memoir, poetry, and is currently working on a screenplay and novel about his Quaker ancestor Thomas Maule, who was arrested for defending the wise women accused of witchcraft in Salem in 1692. He leads the Green Mountain Writers Group in Vermont and creates digital media professionally as DesignWise Studios.
Follow his Antediluvian Attitudes on Substack: https://stephenkastner.substack.com