Poetry Society Of America

TO BUILD A LARGER AND MORE DIVERSE AUDIENCE FOR POETRY, (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O) TO ENCOURAGE A DEEPER APPRECIATION OF THE VITALITY AND BREADTH OF POETRY IN THE CULTURAL CONVERSATION, AND TO PLACE POETRY AT THE CROSSROADS OF AMERICAN LIFE.

PUBLIC PROGRAMS:THE POETRY SOCIETY PRESENTS LIVE AND DIGITAL PROGRAMS THAT EXPLORE THE WORK OF INDIVIDUAL POETS, AS WELL AS IMPORTANT THEMES IN CONTEMPORARY POETRY. THE POETRY SOCIETY ALSO PARTNERS WITH HARLEM ACADEMY TO PRESENT THE VISITING POETS PROGRAM, WHICH BRINGS PROFESSIONAL POETS INTO THE CLASSROOM TO TEACH THE READING AND WRITING OF POETRY TO MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS. THROUGH THESE PUBLIC PROGRAMS, THE POETRY SOCIETY SERVES HUNDREDS OF POETS AND TENS OF THOUSANDS OF READERS EACH YEAR. DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, MOST OF THE POETRY SOCIETY'S PUBLIC PROGRAMS SHIFTED TO DIGITAL IN 2022; NONETHELESS, THE POETRY SOCIETY WAS ABLE TO PRESENT MORE PROGRAMS AND SERVE MORE POETS AND READERS.

ANNUAL AWARDS:EACH YEAR, THE POETRY SOCIETY OFFERS 12 AWARDS TO HONOR AND SUPPORT POETS AT EVERY STAGE OF THEIR CAREERS, RANGING FROM AN AWARD FOR A STUDENT POET TO BEST FIRST BOOK TO LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN POETRY. RECIPIENTS OF THE POETRY SOCIETY'S MOST DISTINGUISHED AWARD, THE FROST MEDAL, HAVE INCLUDED GWENDOLYN BROOKS, WALLACE STEVENS, MARIANNE MOORE, JOHN ASHBERY, AND LUCILLE CLIFTON. IN 2022, THE FROST MEDAL WAS AWARDED TO SHARON OLDS. RECIPIENTS OF THE FOUR QUARTETS PRIZE FOR BEST POETRY SEQUENCE HAVE INCLUDED DANTE MICHEAUX, DANEZ SMITH, AND JOHN MURILLO. EACH YEAR, THE POETRY SOCIETY ALSO AWARDS TWO CHAPBOOK FELLOWSHIPS, WHICH INCLUDE A PRIZE OF $1,000 AND THE PUBLICATION OF THEIR FIRST CHAPBOOK, ALONG WITH MENTORSHIP BY AN ESTABLISHED POET IN THE EDITORIAL AND PUBLICATION PROCESS.

POETRY AND PUBLIC SPACESINCE 1992, THE POETRY SOCIETY HAS PRESENTED POETRY IN MOTION, WHICH PLACES POEMS IN TRANSIT SYSTEMS AROUND THE COUNTRY, CREATING UNEXPECTED AND MEANINGFUL ENCOUNTERS IN PUBLIC SPACES BETWEEN POEMS AND MILLIONS OF READERS. IN 2021, THE PROGRAM EXPANDED TO INCLUDE THE WASHINGTON DC AREA METRO SYSTEM AND PATH/PORT AUTHORITY STATIONS IN NEW JERSEY AND NEW YORK. THE PROGRAM SERVES APPROXIMATELY 9 MILLION PEOPLE EACH YEAR. POETRY IN MOTION IS NOW THE CORNERSTONE OF A LARGER ARRAY OF PROGRAMS IN PUBLIC SPACE, INCLUDING PARTNERSHIPS WITH CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS TO PRESENT POETRY BASED PUBLIC ART PROJECTS. IN 2022, THE POETRY SOCIETY PARTNERED WITH THE DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN PARTNERSHIP TO PRESET SEEING INTO TOMORROW, WHICH TRANSFORMED POEMS BY RICHARD WRIGHT INTO LARGE-SCALE INSTALLATIONS ON WALLS IN SEVERAL BROOKLYN NEIGHBORHOODS. THIS PROGRAM AREA ALSO INCLUDES POEMS ON WHEELS, A PARTNERSHIP WITH MEALS ON WHEELS CHAPTERS AROUND THE COUNTRY TO PROVIDE POEMS ALONG WITH NOURISHING MEALS TO HOMEBOUND SENIORS.