Breathing Museum is a poetry reading that honors Tennessee poets who have made a personal impact on local writers. At this gathering, contemporary poets will share the works of poets who have passed, celebrating voices that continue to resonate. These readings pay tribute not only to the poetry itself but also to the lives and stories of the poets—those whose creative contributions shaped their communities and whose words still move within those who knew them, worked with them, and saw them perform. Through this communal act of remembrance, we bring renewed breath to their writing. Breathing Museum reminds us that poetry, like breath, connects us across generations, through time and place.

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Matthew Johnstone is the author of a handful of smaller collections from Blue & Yellow Dog Press, Inpatient Press, DoubleCross Press, Vegetarian Alcoholic Press, and above/ground press. He's the co-founder, head librarian, and events coordinator at the Free Nashville Poetry Library, an informal, volunteer-led organization run out of The Packing Plant.

Klyd Watkins, a lifelong Tennessean, taught at Madisonville Community College in Kentucky during the seventies and has worked as a realtor and honky-tonk bass player. He lives with his wife Linda on the Harpeth River near White Bluff, surrounded by family. A prolific poet, his work has appeared in Red Clay Reader, Southern Poetry Review, and more. His recordings from the Poetry Out Loud series are now available on iTunes and cherished by vinyl collectors. His upcoming collection, The Wolf Can Smell This is My Acre, will be published in February 2025.

Christine Hall, raised in a trailer at the edge of the Adirondacks by cultist pornographers and troubadours, is an artist, writer, and advocate with Arts Equity Nashville. Co-host of WXNA’s Public Comments, she has performed at venues like Exit/In, TSU, and OZ Arts. Her publications include Waking Up God and Sinew. Christine has curated galleries, facilitated community art, and worked in film art departments. She lives in Nashville, a city that grew on her as it grew around her.