Meet our librarians

Hillin (2018, 2019)

Ann (2018, 2019)

Hillin (2018, 2019)

Adam (2019, 2020)

Hillin (2018, 2019)

Lance (2020, 2021, 2022)

Robyn (2020, 2021, 2022)

Lance (2020, 2021, 2022)

Robyn (2020, 2021, 2022)

Jacob (2020, 2021)

Lance (2020, 2021, 2022)

Robyn (2020, 2021, 2022)

Madelyn (2021, 2022, 2023)

Carter (2022)

Madelyn (2021, 2022, 2023)

Nora (2022)

Madelyn (2021, 2022, 2023)

Olivia (2023)

Matthew Johnstone, Co-Founder

Olivia (2023)

Thomas Macfie, Co-Founder

Matthew Johnstone, Co-Founder

Thomas Macfie was born in Winchester, TN and grew up in Sewanee. Leaving Tennessee, he attended Flathead Valley Community College and the University of Montana. His writing has been published in DIAGRAM, Fence, the Nashville Scene, New Nowhere, and elsewhere. A co-founder of the Free Nashville Poetry Library, he currently splits his time between Nashville and the Cumberland Plateau.

Matthew Johnstone, Co-Founder

Matthew Johnstone is author of the collection Let’s be close Rope to mast you, Old light (Blue & Yellow Dog Press), and the chapbooks O N E (Inpatient Press), Note on Tundra (DoubleCross Press), Eater, of mouths (Vegetarian Alcoholic Press), and ( Kiln ) (above/ground press). He's the coordinator, host of Et Al. Poetry Readings, co-editor of 'Pider, and head librarian at FNPL.

become a librarian

Service Guarantees Citizenship

Love books?

Have ideas for poetry events?

Want to read more poetry?

Want to talk about poetry?

Want a place to study-read-write among over 3,000 poetry texts?

FNPL is actively looking for librarians willing to donate time and abilities to shape our always-free programming, determine what texts to acquire, help us reach out to editors, poets, and small presses to get those texts. Help us augment the role and definition of poetry in Nashville, help us introduce poetry into places where it isn't, and meet new communities of creatives while you're at it. Become one of the folks shaping Nashville's poetry landscape.

Librarians donate as much time as they like, they choose which projects to work on, and they set their own schedules.

Reach out, we'd love to hear from you: nashvillepoetrylibrary@gmail.co