Wallace Lane
Wallace Lane is part of The Baltimore Banner's Creatives in Residence program, which amplifies the work of artists and writers from the Baltimore region. Wallace is a poet, writer, and author from Baltimore. He received his MFA in Creative Writing and Publishing Arts from the University of Baltimore in May 2017. His debut collection of poetry entitled Jordan Year was also released in May 2017. Additionally, Wallace works as an English and Creative Writing Instructor with Baltimore City Public Schools. Wallace's writing has been published in several print and online publications, including Little Paxtuxent Review, Welter Literary Journal, Lolwe Magazine, Salon.com, Poetry and Covid Magazine, The Indianapolis Review, Jupiter Review and will appear in several upcoming anthologies in 2022.
The latest from Wallace
Commentary: Why I support the quarter zip trend for young men
As a young teen, Wallace Lane once changed out of his school uniform at a local store before walking Baltimore's streets. Now, he embraces the new preppy quarter zip trend the young generation is wearing.
It’s my turn to host the family cookout. I am not sure I’m ready.
Wallace Lane learned this summer he’s old enough not just to attend the family cookout but to take over the grill too. Call it a rite of passage.
Opinion: A Black dad’s reflections on Father’s Day
Being a dad in this digital age and all of its influences on children is one of the most difficult tasks, but if you have patience and genuine presence, then the playing field evens out.
‘Pop the Balloon or Find Love’ seems entertaining - until you look deeper
Those on the YouTube dating show hold nothing back, but is that good for how Black love is portrayed?
Commentary: Kamala or Trump? Why Black men are divided
It’s easy for some to assume Black men all vote the same, but Wallace Lane and his friends are divided on who should be our next president.
Opinion: My mom and sister avoided a car fire. My faith in God is now restored.
Wallace Lane’s mother’s car burst in flames shortly after she parked it after church a few months ago. She and his sister had just left the vehicle.
Commentary: Why I could never hate Drake or Kendrick
How the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar rap feud has refreshed one writer’s hunger for the genre.
Commentary: I’ve lost family members to gun violence. I still got my gun license.
Wallace Lane reflects on his complex relationship with guns.
Commentary: Why I became a Valentine’s Day Grinch
Wallace Lane once bought the girl the wrong gift and it jaded him on the holiday of love. But now he's willing to give it another chance.
An ode to baby shower meatballs
Wallace Lane explains why meatballs are an essential part of any celebration.
10 things I don’t want to see on my Instagram timeline this year
January is when I refocus and cleanse my social media platforms.
What one teacher learned when students found his Instagram account
Wallace Lane was reminded that teachers are role models and the meaning of the Gen X phrase, “having motion.”
How a haircut tells the legacy of one man’s family
Poet Wallace Lane writes on family legacy and the fade.
How wearing a hoodie in the summer heat helped me understand Gen Z
What I learned from the whole ordeal was that Gen Z cares a lot but in a different way than I may.
Wallace Lane: Body of star, body of light
A poem about a father celebrating his son’s imagination and wonder on everyday and cosmic scales.
Wallace Lane: Notes on everything a year taught me
Baltimore poet Wallace Lane writes about passing time, lessons learned and finding strength in the bad days.
Is InstaGratification hurting us in the age of social media?
Too many people believe success lives and dies by social media validation. We need to show our youths that success isn’t about instant gratification.
Five Baltimore City basketball courts where I learned life lessons
Poet Wallace Lane shares the basketball courts that helped him build his confidence.
Wallace Lane: My life as a ’90s hood drama movie
A poem about lives that aren't utopias and glamorized scenes in movies.
What a troubled father taught me about life, fatherhood
As I approach Father’s Day this year, I’m particularly mindful of the need for encouragement for Black fathers labeled troubled Black fathers, because one such man helped me.
