Perpetually misunderstood, perennially reduced to a fictional crime drama series, and often maligned by people who haven’t set foot within its city limits, Baltimore is—among many other wonderful things—a hotbed for creatives in all disciplines. This collection of literature, films, songs, visual artwork, and other media is fully intended to be a jumping-off point for a deeper dive into the rich tapestry of creative work created by Baltimoreans.

I made this syllabus because I’ve lived here my whole life, and I don’t see myself leaving any time soon. I have seen firsthand the beauty that exists in this city, as have many of its longtime and lifelong residents.  I am constantly finding myself surrounded by talented creatives working in a variety of disciplines, often bending and merging them at will. This is a city that knows how to innovate, reinvent, and create change.

There are many, many people whose work I look to for inspiration that are not included on this list, nor does it contain any of my own writing about the city. I chose to focus on media that specifically centers on the city itself—not just a passing mention, but a work that encompasses something essential about life in Baltimore. 

I think it’s also worth mentioning that I could make this syllabus a thousand different ways, with work by Baltimore creatives responding to any number of themes. I recently wrote an article for the Baltimore Beatfocusing on queer event organizers in the city, in which publisher and writer dave ring mentioned that the idea of the LGBTQ community as a monolith is a myth. No one group is ever a monolith, but I also find this to be true of Baltimore as a whole. I find it hard to stumble on the exact same experience twice here, in large part because there is such an emphasis on creativity in all its manifestations. There is a corner of this city’s creative universe for almost every subculture one could imagine, and I invite you into a small sampling of work that explicitly addresses the experience of living here and thriving here.

This syllabus is fluid, flexible, and adaptable, as are we Baltimoreans. I’ve included a list of media by type, as well as four concise categories into which all of these selections fall. If you’re just getting started in this wonderful city, I’d start with 1: Understanding Baltimore and 2: Picturing Baltimore. If you followed me here from my queer publishing pursuits, or are otherwise interested in queer culture, you may enjoy 3: Queering Baltimore. And if you love this city as much as I do already, proceed directly to 4: Celebrating Baltimore.