The Future of Poetry
 
This year marks our eightieth anniversary, and it's the perfect time to take a look back at the visionary who founded the Academy of American Poets: twenty-three-year-old Marie Bullock, who, concerned about the lack of attention and financial support given to poets in America, decided to take action.
 
As she wrote in the organization's early days, "Through the stress and strain of daily living, ring your own pure note of idealism and love of beauty. Be an army of builders with a goal of construction. Build beauty for yourselves and for your children...make poetry a living thing." 

 

Read more of the talk she gave at the Chautauqua Woman's Club in Chautauqua, New York, in 1937.
 
Photo: Marie Bullock.

 

Get a Free National Poetry Month Poster
 

Celebrate National Poetry Month this coming April by displaying the official 2014 poster created by award-winning designer Chip Kidd. Sure to be a collector's item, the striking poster features an excerpt from Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself." 


Launched in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets, National Poetry Month has become the largest literary celebration in the world. 
 
Request a poster now to ensure delivery by April. 

 

Sharon Olds and Jane Hirshfield Reading at AWP 2014

  

The Academy will present a reading with Chancellor Jane Hirshfield and Chancellor Emeritus Sharon Olds at this year's Association of Writers & Writing Programs conference in Seattle in February.

 

For a preview, listen to clips from our audio archive of Hirshfield reading "For What Binds Us" and Olds reading  "The Ferryer." 
 
 
 

  

  


Photos: (Right) Jane Hirshfield, credit: Nick Rosza; (left) Sharon Olds, credit: David Bartolomi.

 
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Video: Poetic Inspiration
Poet Kevin Varrone discuss the influences behind his poetry collection, Box Score
 

Take a look at Kevin Varrone discussing the historical and mythological role baseball played in his poetry book-turned-iPhone-app, BOX SCORE. Varrone participated in Poetic Explorations, a panel held at Poets Forum this past October in New York City. 

 

Watch the Video >

Upcoming Deadline: 
February 15
 
 
 
 
 
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Thanks for being a part of the Academy of American Poets community. To learn about other programs, including National Poetry Month, Poem in Your Pocket Day, the annual Poets Forum, and more, visit Poets.org.