I’m Maggie Smith.

I write & help others write.

Chad Cochran

Welcome

I’m a poet, writer, editor, teacher, and the host of The Slowdown. I’ve published several books of poetry and prose, including Good Bones (you might know the title poem), Keep Moving and Dear Writer. My memoir, You Could Make This Place Beautiful, was a New York Times bestseller.

My poems and essays have appeared in the New York Times, The New Yorker, the Guardian, the Paris Review, Tin House, the Washington Post, and The Best American Poetry. When I’m not writing, teaching, or working on the podcast, I’m usually hanging out with my two favorite human beings: my daughter and son. We live in the Columbus, Ohio, area. Yes, it’s my hometown.

 Watch

“Good Bones” | Poem by Maggie Smith | Film by Anais La Rocca

 News & Events

11 Nov

Generative Poetry Class in January 2027

Join Maggie Smith and Danusha Laméris for a generative poetry class focusing on the line. We’ll start off the new year with some creative momentum—and writing community—that we can carry forward. I hope...