UD English professors explain how learning to read and write poetry benefits all students John Ernest, chair of the Department of English at the University of Delaware, wants to bring poetry to life, so sometimes he’ll start his classes with a dramatic reading of a poem. On more than one occasion, he’s arranged for someone … Continue reading The Purpose of Poetry (via UDaily)
Although words are Marquis Lee’s specialty, he struggles to find the nouns and adjectives to adequately and accurately describe himself. There’s too much to contain in a sentence. “I’m still finding myself as far as the arts go because I have so many different things that I do,” he said. “I consider myself a multidisciplinary … Continue reading Central Florida man finds his voice, business through art and typewriter poetry (via Orlando Sentinel)
Congratulations to the five incredible poets nominated for a GRAMMY at the 65th annual awards taking place in 2023! Here is a brief synopsis of how this category came to be from an article originally titled: "Behind The GRAMMY: Why The New Best Spoken Word Poetry Album GRAMMY Category Is A Global Victory For Lovers … Continue reading Here Are Your 2023 Nominees for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album (via Recording Academy)
A poem’s meaning is most often constructed from its words, but there is just as much, if not more, hidden within its silences and blank spaces. Local poets Allison Adair and Sandra Lim explored this theme of engaging silence in poetry at the Boston Book Festival on Oct. 29. In the workshop “The Silence After … Continue reading From the Boston Book Festival: Silence in Poetry (via Harvard Crimson)
Fifteen years ago, Georgia Popoff discovered the Goethe-Schiller monument in Schiller Park in Syracuse and studied its history. The statue of the two famous German poets, dedicated to the park in 1911 and built on an ancient burial ground, honors the German-American population in Syracuse during that time. Popoff, a life-long community poet and writer … Continue reading Meet the teacher who just became Onondaga County’s first living poet laureate (via Syracuse)
Marking a milestone with over $1.1 million in prizes Ceremony to take place October 27, 2022 in Chicago, IL CHICAGO, IL—The Poetry Foundation is proud to announce the winners of the 2022 Pegasus Awards, a family of literary prizes that include the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize, the Young People’s Poet Laureate, and the Pegasus Award … Continue reading Poetry Foundation Makes History Honoring 2022 Pegasus Awardees [Press Release] (via Poetry Foundation)
During her three terms as the 23rd poet laureate of the United States, Indigenous poet Joy Harjo—who hails from Muscogee (Creek) Nation—has not only used her platform to spotlight the beauty of the written word, but has also highlighted the works of contemporary Native poets across the nation. One of her biggest projects as poet … Continue reading Joy Harjo On When She Realized Poetry Has Power (via Vogue)
Guadalupe Mendez remembers the freak thunderstorm in Galveston that kept him and his classmates stuck in their seventh grade class. With no power, his teacher had to continue his lesson on Edgar Allen Poe, and did so by popping a cassette into a battery-powered boombox. To support the mood of the macabre stories, candles were … Continue reading The Voice of Lone Star Poetry (via Texas Observer)
Dean Young’s work was humorous, heartbreaking, and deeply influential in the field of contemporary poetry, and it continues to inspire people even after his death. Young was an award-winning poet, mentor, and close friend to many who he inspired with his decades of written work. A former Iowa Writers’ Workshop faculty member, his connection to … Continue reading Former Iowa Writers’ Workshop member Dean Young leaves legacy of enigmatic poetry (via The Daily Iowan)
By merely existing on social media, you have likely come across the work of Rupi Kaur: a multi-hyphenate known for her modern rendition of poetry and sprawling influence across Instagram and the internet. Kaur has been credited as one of the first Insta-Poets, a category for writers who publish poems that fit into the grid's perfect squares and are … Continue reading Rupi Kaur on using poetry to heal (via Mashable)
