Poetry Foundation

Poetry Foundation
Name	Poetry Foundation
Formation	2003
Founder	Ruth Lilly
Headquarters	Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Key people	Michelle T. Boone, Henry S. Bienen
Focus	Poetry
Website	poetryfoundation.org

Poetry Foundation is a major American literary institution dedicated to promoting poetry in the wider culture. Established in 2003 following a transformative bequest from philanthropist Ruth Lilly, it is the publisher of the long-running *Poetry* magazine. Headquartered in a landmark building in Chicago, the foundation supports poets, fosters readership, and provides extensive free public resources through its programs, publications, and library.

History

The organization's origins are deeply intertwined with the history of *Poetry* magazine, founded in 1912 by Harriet Monroe. For decades, the magazine operated independently, famously publishing early works by seminal figures like T. S. Eliot, Ezra Pound, and Marianne Moore. In 2002, heir to the Eli Lilly and Company fortune Ruth Lilly made an unprecedented bequest of approximately $200 million to the magazine's publisher, the Modern Poetry Association. This gift, one of the largest ever to a literary organization, led to the formal establishment in 2003 of a new entity to steward the funds and expand its mission. The foundation's current headquarters, designed by architect John Ronan, opened in Chicago's River North neighborhood in 2011, creating a permanent public home for its activities.

Organization and activities

Governed by a board of trustees, which has included figures like Henry S. Bienen and Michelle T. Boone, the foundation executes its mission through a wide array of public programs and digital initiatives. It presents numerous live events, including readings, lectures, and the annual Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships. Its expansive website serves as a central digital hub, offering free access to thousands of poems, poet biographies, audio recordings, and educational materials for teachers and students. The foundation also administers several major awards, such as the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize and the Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award, and partners with institutions like the Library of Congress and National Endowment for the Arts on national projects.

Publications

Beyond its flagship *Poetry* magazine, the foundation publishes a range of materials to disseminate poetic work and criticism. These include the *Poetry Foundation Books* imprint, which releases anthologies and critical works, and the popular daily email series, *Poem-a-Day*, which features new and classic poems curated by guest editors. The foundation also produces the *Poetry Off the Shelf* podcast and maintains an extensive online archive of articles, essays, and multimedia content from its magazine and other sources, making a vast corpus of poetic thought freely available worldwide.

Harriet Monroe Poetry Institute

Named for the founder of *Poetry* magazine, the Harriet Monroe Poetry Institute is a policy-oriented think tank operating under the foundation's auspices. It convenes poets, scholars, publishers, and other stakeholders to address practical challenges facing the art form. The institute has produced influential reports and initiatives on topics such as poetry in American education, the poet's role in public life, and the digital archiving of poetic works, aiming to shape the ecosystem for poetry beyond the foundation's direct programming.

Poetry magazine

*Poetry* magazine remains the cornerstone publication, with a legacy of introducing groundbreaking poets to the world. Under the editorial direction of figures like Harriet Monroe, Karl Shapiro, and Don Share, it has published first or early works by luminaries including Langston Hughes, Sylvia Plath, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Billy Collins. The magazine continues to feature a mix of established and emerging voices, along with reviews and essays, maintaining its status as a preeminent monthly journal of verse and a direct link to the foundation's historic roots in Chicago's literary avant-garde.

Library and archives

The Poetry Foundation Library is a non-circulating, public reference library housing over 30,000 volumes of 20th- and 21st-century poetry, criticism, and related works. Its archives hold a unique collection of materials related to *Poetry* magazine, including correspondence from poets like Wallace Stevens and Robert Frost, and manuscripts. The library hosts readings, discussion groups, and exhibitions, serving as a vital physical research center and community space that complements the foundation's extensive digital resources.

Category:Poetry organizations Category:Literary magazines Category:Organizations based in Chicago