Announcements

Poet Kevin Coval Featured in Rush Hour Concert Series
06.17.09: The Poetry Foundation is pleased to present with the Rush Hour Concert Series a free performance featuring poet Kevin Coval, pianist James Giles, and the music of George Gershwin and Charles Ives. The event marks the fourth year of collaboration between the Poetry Foundation and the Rush Hour Concert Series in presenting programs combining poetry and music. READ MORE »

Matthea Harvey to Collaborate with Miró Quartet for Poetry Radio Project
06.04.09: The Poetry Foundation, American Public Media’s Performance Today, and the White Pine Festival are collaborating on the latest installation of the Poetry Radio Project to present the Miró Quartet, a string ensemble, and poet Matthea Harvey in a multidisciplinary performance of classical music and poetry. READ MORE »

Three Poems from Poetry Selected for The Pushcart Prize
05.14.09: Poetry magazine is pleased to announce that three poems featured recently in its pages have been selected for inclusion in The Pushcart Prize XXXIV: Best of the Small Presses. READ MORE »

The Wind Shifts: New Latino Poetry on Tour
05.06.09: Poetry magazine is proud to co-sponsor with the Guild Complex and Letras Latinas a poetry reading by four poets whose work is featured in the anthology The Wind Shifts: New Latino Poetry—Rosa Alcalá, Kevin A. González, Carolina Monsivais, and Lidia Torres. READ MORE »

Poetry Foundation and National Arts Endowment Announce 2009 Winner of Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest
04.29.09: Backed by a cheering section of his family and friends, 18-year-old William Farley of Arlington, Virginia captivated both judges and audience with his poetry recitations to gain the title of 2009 Poetry Out Loud National Champion, and an award of $20,000. READ MORE »

Chicago Poetry Tour Debuts
04.20.09: The Chicago Poetry Tour, a multimedia tour of poetry written in and about the city of Chicago, includes archival and contemporary recordings of poets and scholars, local music, and historic photographs. READ MORE »

Children’s Poet Laureate Presents Video Series Launches
04.16.09: The new video podcast series features the nation’s Children’s Poet Laureate, Mary Ann Hoberman, reading from her own work and from classic children’s poetry collections. View episodes READ MORE »

Fanny Howe and Ange Mlinko Receive Major Literary Awards from Poetry Foundation
04.14.09: Fanny Howe is the recipient of the 2009 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize. Established in 1986 and presented annually by the Poetry Foundation to a living U.S. poet whose lifetime accomplishments warrant extraordinary recognition, the Ruth Lilly Prize is one of the most prestigious awards given to American poets, and at $100,000 it is one of the nation’s largest literary prizes. Poet and critic Ange Mlinko is the winner of the Randall Jarrell Award in Poetry Criticism. The prizes will be presented at the Pegasus Awards ceremony at the Arts Club of Chicago on Tuesday, May 19. READ MORE »

American Life in Poetry Celebrates Fourth Anniversary
04.07.09: American Life in Poetry, the free newspaper column featuring a weeklypoem selected and briefly introduced by former U.S. Poet Laureate TedKooser, runs regularly in over 75 papers, with a circulation of upwards offour million. READ MORE »

Past Announcements

04.01.09: Poetry Foundation Celebrates National Poetry Month

03.25.09: Poetry Foundation and American Public Media Launch Poetry Radio Project

03.24.09: Poetry Foundation and National Endowment for the Arts Announce the 2009 National Finals of Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest

03.17.09: Second Season of Poetry Everywhere Debuts

03.05.09: Poetry Foundation Announces Inaugural Project of Poetry Institute

02.02.09: Tony Fitzpatrick Portfolio Featured in Poetry Magazine

01.14.09: Poetry Magazine and Museum of Modern Art to Cohost “Futurism and the New Manifesto”

01.12.09: “My Nose and Me: A TragedyLite or TragiDelight in 33 Scenes”

01.07.09: Recently Discovered Langston Hughes Poems Published in Poetry Magazine

01.06.09: Poetry Foundation Announces Winter/Spring 2009 Literary Series

12.18.08: Poetry Foundation Applauds Poetry’s Place in Inaugural Program

11.20.08: Poetry Presents a Theatrical Interpretation of Five Poems by Dana Levin

11.06.08: Poetry and contratiempo To Host Bilingual Literary Event

11.03.08: Poetry Foundation and Chicago International Children’s Film Festival Award $10,000 Poetry Film Prize

10.08.08: Albert Goldbarth and Mary Ann Hoberman Win Major Prizes for American Poets

09.22.08: 54th Annual Poetry Day with Louise Glück

09.17.08: Classical Baby (I’m Grown Up Now): The Poetry Show Wins Emmy® for Outstanding Children’s Program

09.16.08: 100 Essential American Poets Historic Audio Archive

09.04.08: Explore Poetry and Language with Free Online Resource

09.02.08: 2008 Ruth Lilly Fellowship Winners Announced

08.21.08: Poetry Foundation Announces Fall 2008 Literary Series

08.05.08: FOURTH ANNUAL PRINTERS’ BALL ANNOUNCED

07.18.08: Classical Baby (I’m Grown Up Now): The Poetry Show
Receives Primetime Emmy® Nomination

05.16.08: Poetry Magazine Presents: Two Readings
at Independent New York Bookstores

05.02.08: POETRY FOUNDATION PRESENTS FIRST-EVER JOINT READING BY U.S. AND U.K. CHILDREN’S POETS LAUREATE

04.30.08: High School Student Shawntay Henry Wins $20,000 First Prize in National Poetry Competition

04.29.08: GARY SNYDER WINS 2008 RUTH LILLY POETRY PRIZE

04.17.08: NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS AND THE POETRY FOUNDATION ANNOUNCE THE 2008 NATIONAL FINALS OF POETRY OUT LOUD: NATIONAL RECITATION CONTEST

03.26.08: To celebrate the publication of CONTEMPORARY RUSSIAN POETRY: AN ANTHOLOGY

03.20.08: POETRY EVERYWHERE

03.17.08: Poetry Foundation Collaborates with HBO on Classical Baby (I’m Grown Up Now): The Poetry Show

01.29.08: Poetry Foundation Launches Harriet Monroe Poetry Institute

01.14.08: Poetry Foundation Announces Spring 2008 Literary Series

11.07.07: Poetry Foundation Launches Free Poetry Syndicate for Newspapers

11.02.07: Poetry Presents A Theatrical Interpretation of Frank Bidart’s “The Third Hour of the Night”

11.01.07: Poetry Foundation Presents 53rd Annual Poetry Day with Eavan Boland

10.25.07: POETRY FOUNDATION AND THE PULITZER FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS PRESENT POETRY AT THE PULITZER: WATER

10.23.07: Poetry Foundation and Columbia Graduate School of Journalism Present Make It News: A Symposium on Poetry and Journalism

10.15.07: Two Young Poets Win Ruth Lilly Fellowships

10.11.07: John Ronan Architects Selected to Design Home for Poetry Foundation

10.10.07: Poetry Foundation and Chicago International Children’s Film Festival Launch “Reel Poetry” Initiative

10.04.07: Poet Anne Stevenson Wins $50,000 Neglected Masters Award

10.02.07: Poetry Foundation & McSweeney’s Present Kwame Dawes, Mary Karr, Yusef Komunyakaa, Patricia Smith, and Rachel Zucker

09.18.07: Poetry Foundation Announces Fall 2007 Literary Series

09.10.07: Art Institute, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Poetry Foundation Announce the Season of American Perspectives

07.24.07: Poetry Foundation and Rush Hour Concerts at St. James Cathedral Present Inventions on Inventions: Poems Paired with J.S. Bach’s Three-Part Inventions

06.21.07: 3rd Annual Printers’ Ball Announced

05.30.07: Poetryfoundation.org Wins a Webby

05.07.07: Lucille Clifton Wins 2007 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize

05.03.07: National Endowment for the Arts and Poetry Foundation Announce 2007 National Champion of Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest

04.25.07: Poetry Center and Poetry Foundation Present Robert Bly

04.19.07: Poetry Foundation Forms Partnership with UK-Based Poetry Archive to Create Historic Audio Collection of American Poetry

04.09.07: POETRY FOUNDATION AND THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS ANNOUNCE THE 2007 NATIONAL FINALS OF POETRY OUT LOUD: NATIONAL RECITATION CONTEST

04.05.07: POETRY FOUNDATION PRESENTS FIRST-EVER JOINT READING BY U.S. AND BRITISH POETS LAUREATE

03.28.07: Poetry Foundation Collaborates with Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts on Poetry and the Portrait Symposium

03.20.07: Poetry Off the Shelf with Tony Hoagland and Dean Young

03.13.07: Poetry Foundation Presents Jack Prelutsky

03.01.07: 2007 Pegasus Awards Call for Entries

02.21.07: Poetry Off the Shelf: Martín Espada

02.07.07: Poetry Foundation Announces 2007 Spring Chicago Literary Series

01.08.07: Poetry Off the Shelf with Kevin Young

10.31.06: Poetry Foundation Presents Poetry on Stage: Tartuffe: A play in verse by Molière

10.17.06: Poetry Foundation Announces Publication of Everything Preserved by Landis Everson

10.03.06: Poetry Foundation Presents Poetry Day with Robert Hass

09.27.06: Poetry Foundation Names Jack Prelutsky First Children’s Poet Laureate

09.18.06: Poetry Foundation to Name First Children’s Poet Laureate

09.11.06: Two Young Poets Win Ruth Lilly Fellowships

08.22.06: Poetry Foundation Announces Fall 2006 Literary Series

08.07.06: Poetry Foundation and Rush Hour Concerts at St. James Cathedral Present A Performance of Bach’s Two-Part Inventions with Poetry

07.06.06: 2nd Annual Printers’ Ball Announced

06.14.06: POETRY FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES NATIONAL CHAMPION OF POETRY OUT LOUD: NATIONAL RECITATION CONTEST

05.01.06: Poetry Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts Announce the National Finals of Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest

04.18.06: Richard Wilbur Wins 2006 Lilly Prize

04.11.06: WHO CARES ABOUT POETRY? 90 PERCENT OF AMERICAN READERS, NEW STUDY SHOWS

03.29.06: POETRYFOUNDATION.ORG CELEBRATES NATIONAL POETRY MONTH WITH DAILY POETRY PODCASTS

03.28.06: POETRY OFF THE SHELF Adam Zagajewski and Clare Cavanagh

02.27.06: POETRY FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NEWSHOUR

02.14.06: Poetry Foundation Presents Archibald MacLeish's JB A Staged Reading Produced by Bernard Sahlins

01.26.06: THE POETRY FOUNDATION LAUNCHES COMPREHENSIVE ONLINE POETRY ARCHIVE

12.12.05: "American Life in Poetry" Reaches 1.5 Million Readers

11.17.05: The Poetry Foundation Announces POETRY OUT LOUD: NATIONAL RECITATION CONTEST

10.07.05: Landis Everson, Tony Hoagland, and William Logan Win Major New Prizes for American Poets

09.26.05: The Poetry Foundation Presents 10 BRECHT POEMS

05.01.05: Chicago Teen Wins Regional National Poetry Recitation Contest

04.20.05: C.K. Williams Wins 2005 Lilly Prize

04.01.05: Poetry Magazine Redesign

03.31.05: The Poetry Foundation and the Library of Congress Co-Sponsor Poet Laureate's "American Life in Poetry" Project

03.28.05: University of Chicago's National Opinion Research Center To Study People's Outlook on Poetry

03.23.05: Kevin Young, Prize-Winning Poet and Essayist, to Read and Discuss Poetry and Contemporary Culture

03.21.05: Poet, Essayist & Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts Dana Gioia to Speak in Chicago

03.14.05: The Poetry Foundation Conducts $1,000 National Poetry Recitation Contest

02.16.05: The Poetry Foundation Sponsors Chicago Series of Staged Verse Readings

10.06.04: Billy Collins and Samuel Menashe Win Major New Prizes for American Poets

Media Contacts

Anne Halsey: 312.799.8016
Katie Hartsock: 312.799.8065
media -at- poetryfoundation.org

About the Poetry Foundation and
POETRY MAGAZINE

The Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry magazine, is an independent literary organization committed to a vigorous presence for poetry in our culture. It exists to discover and celebrate the best poetry and to place it before the largest possible audience. Founded in Chicago by Harriet Monroe in 1912, Poetry magazine is the oldest monthly devoted to verse in the English-speaking world. Harriet Monroe's "Open Door" policy, set forth in Volume I of the magazine, remains the most succinct statement of Poetry's mission: to print the best poetry written today, in whatever style, genre, or approach.

Open Letters from John Barr, President

2008 Letter from John Barr, President
In his annual report to the poetry community, John Barr discusses the Foundation’s programs and activities in response to the financial crisis. READ MORE »

Recent Press

Perhaps the most successful, and forward-looking, [poetry advocacy] program of the past few years has been Poetry Out Loud, a recitation competition for high-school students that is often compared to the Scripps National Spelling Bee. It was created by the NEA and the Poetry Foundation, and in 2006, its first year as a national contest, about 40,000 students participated. This year, nearly 300,000 students are taking part, reciting both contemporary and classical poetry.

Newsweek, March 2009
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“As a construction worker who spends long hours in a dirty, harsh environment, I welcome a respite of classical music and literature. My mother had me recite poetry at the age of 4 to her lady friends, and a seed was planted. . . . Unfortunately, poetry does not inspire our politics, music or collective ethos today. The trouble is poetry requires a sense of history, irony, metaphor, style and the ability to sit and contemplate.”

Time, July 2007
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Poetry has done what long seemed impossible: It has reclaimed it place at the center of American poetry. More, it has become one of the most interesting literary periodicals of any kind published today.”

NY Sun, December 2005
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“Last fall, Jack Prelutsky was fittingly named the first Children’s Poet Laureate, by the Poetry Foundation.”

NY Times Book Review,
February 2007
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“They decided to use its behest as an instrument of advocacy, via the internet. So they created the world’s largest foundation for verse—and a rich web site.”

—CBC News, January 2007
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“A new national study of American readers has found a warm place in their souls for poetry, even though their brains go mostly blank on verse.”

Chicago Tribune, April 2006
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“This week high school students from all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Came to the capital to compete in the national finals of Poetry Out Loud. The winner, Jackson Hille, earned a $20,000 scholarship.”

—NPR Weekend Edition,
March 2006
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