On Sunday, May 3, 2026, attendees to the Anacostia Neighborhood Library enjoyed the final reading of the series, culminating in selection of Angelo ‘CanMan tha Poet’ Brooks as the 2026 DC Poet Project winner. Brooks performed at the event alongside finalists MariTi Lovell, Kiara Penn, and Delante Allen.
2026 DC Poet Project winner Angelo ‘CanMan tha Poet’ Brooks is a D.C. native, writer, host and curator. A finalist in the 2024 DC Poet Project, he was also a finalist for the 2024 Luce Prize, awarded by the Mid-Atlantic Review.
Responding to the forces seeking to silence and subvert Washington, D.C.’s glorious diversity, the theme of the 2026 DC Poet Project reading series, curated by Regie Cabico, was, “Celebrating the Rainbow.” Featured poets in the series, responsible for selecting the finalist poets, included Kristin Kowalski-Ferragut, Amuche Nwafor (2024 Poet Project winner), Teri Cross Davis, Susan Scheid, Brandon Douglas (2023 Poet Project winner), Micki Topham, Anne Becker, Malachi Byrd (2025 Poet Project winner), Susan Mockler, Ishanee Chanda, Jenn Koiter (2021 Poet Project winner), and Nico Penaranda. The series was hosted by Aaron Holmes and produced in partnership with the Anacostia Coordinating Council through support from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and donors to Day Eight.
Angelo’s selection comes with the prize of a book contract from Day Eight. We sat down with the 2026 winner to learn more about him.
You perform under the stage name, CanMan tha poet. Where does that name come from? What does that mean?
It came from work. I used to do tasks that people were unable to do, or didn’t want to do. I used to be like, “I can do it.” Others used to be like, “he can do it.” So I took the name and ran with it.
Is Angelo a family name? Were you named after someone?
Nope, I’m one of a kind. My mom told me when I was young that she gave me the letter A because she didn’t want to name me after my father, however she chose the first letter of his name to give to me.
In one of your poems, you write about losing both your parents while you were young. What happened, and how do you think that loss impacted you?
Well, I lost one immediately after my 17th birthday and the other one while I was 20. My mom’s death is a mystery. She was dead for days before I found her. My father overdosed on heroin while sitting on the toilet in the bathroom. I think they impacted me different ways. My mom’s death made me become a loner, not really reliant nor dependent on other people. I stopped reaching out to family and started doing my own thing. My dad’s death made me never want to do heroin. I remember my brother and aunt crying the next day before we went to the morgue and I couldn’t cry because I already lost my mom. I may have gone years without crying after that.
When did you start writing poetry?
I started writing poetry in the 9th grade. And I started reciting poetry in the 12th grade. I took a long hiatus after that and started taking poetry more seriously, writing and performing, in 2024.
What do you do when you’re not writing poetry?
Curating events. Spending time with my son and my girlfriend. I do some work as a contractor for schools, driving high school kids between their schools and ATC so they can get college credits while they are still in school.
It was obvious at the final event that a whole crew of people had showed up to support you. Are there other poets in the DC scene, or performer or writers outside of DC, that particularly inspire you?
Sure there are. 2025 DC Poet Project winner Malachi “Malpractice” Byrd. He is a favorite performer, all-around great. I love that guy. 2024 DC Poet Project winner Amuche Nwafor. She inspired me to take the art of poetry more seriously and I think that’s reflected in the way I write now. Vik Da Rii was the first poet that touched my soul with deepness and vulnerability. Alonetiq and 2022 DC Poet Project winner Dominic “Nerd the Poet” inspire me with their wit and wordplay. Countless others, probably too many to name here. You can follow @canmanenterprises on all socials, I share my own poetry and others there.
Day Eight plans to release Angelo’s book Fall 2026. Check back to the website later in the summer for information about the book and a book release party, to be scheduled.