Poetry Foundation

Poetry Foundation. The Poetry Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting poetry and providing resources for poets and poetry enthusiasts, with partners such as the Library of Congress, National Endowment for the Arts, and Academy of American Poets. Founded by Ruth Lilly in 2003, the organization has become a leading voice in the poetry world, with collaborations with institutions like the University of Chicago, Columbia University, and Harvard University. The Poetry Foundation has also worked with notable poets, including Tracy K. Smith, Derek Walcott, and Mark Doty, to advance the art of poetry.

● History

The Poetry Foundation was established in 2003, with Ruth Lilly as its founder, and has since become a major force in the poetry world, with connections to organizations like the Pulitzer Prize board, the National Book Foundation, and the American Academy of Arts and Letters. The foundation's history is closely tied to that of Poetry magazine, which was founded in 1912 by Harriet Monroe and has been published by the Poetry Foundation since 2003, featuring works by poets such as T.S. Eliot, Langston Hughes, and Sylvia Plath. The foundation has also been influenced by the work of poets like Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, and Robert Frost, who have been celebrated through events and exhibitions at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Modern Art, and the New York Public Library. The Poetry Foundation has also partnered with institutions like the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, and Stanford University to promote poetry and support poets.

● Mission_and_Goals

The Poetry Foundation's mission is to promote poetry and provide resources for poets and poetry enthusiasts, with a focus on supporting emerging poets like Ada Limón, Eve L. Ewing, and Danez Smith, and celebrating the work of established poets like John Ashbery, Mary Oliver, and Billy Collins. The foundation's goals include increasing the visibility and accessibility of poetry, supporting the development of new poets, and providing educational resources for teachers and students, in collaboration with organizations like the National Council of Teachers of English, the American Library Association, and the National Education Association. The Poetry Foundation has also worked to promote poetry in the digital age, with partnerships with online platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, and collaborations with digital poetry projects like the Poetry Archive and the Spoken Word Archive. The foundation has also supported the work of poets like Warsan Shire, Rupi Kaur, and Natalie Diaz, who have used social media to share their poetry and connect with readers.

● Programs_and_Initiatives

The Poetry Foundation offers a range of programs and initiatives to support poets and promote poetry, including the Poetry Magazine editorial team, which features editors like Christian Wiman and Don Share, and the Harriet Blog, which showcases the work of poets like Camille Dungy and Matthew Zapruder. The foundation also offers a range of educational resources, including lesson plans and activity guides, developed in partnership with organizations like the National Writing Project and the Teaching Tolerance project. The Poetry Foundation has also launched initiatives like the Poetry Out Loud program, which supports the development of high school poetry recitation competitions, and the Poets in the Schools program, which brings poets into classrooms to work with students, in collaboration with institutions like the Kennedy Center and the Lincoln Center. The foundation has also partnered with festivals like the National Book Festival and the Texas Book Festival to promote poetry and support poets.

● Publications

The Poetry Foundation publishes a range of materials, including Poetry magazine, which has been in publication since 1912 and has featured the work of poets like William Carlos Williams, Marianne Moore, and Gwendolyn Brooks. The foundation also publishes a range of books and anthologies, including the Poetry Magazine anthology series, which features the work of poets like Frank O'Hara and Elizabeth Bishop, and the American Poetry series, which showcases the work of poets like Robert Lowell and Sylvia Plath. The Poetry Foundation has also published works by poets like Mark Strand, Rita Dove, and Yusef Komunyakaa, and has partnered with publishers like Farrar, Straus and Giroux and W.W. Norton & Company to promote poetry and support poets.

● Awards_and_Honors

The Poetry Foundation offers a range of awards and honors to recognize excellence in poetry, including the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize, which is awarded annually to a poet like Marilyn Nelson or Toi Derricotte for outstanding lifetime achievement, and the Pegasus Award, which is awarded to a poet like Terrance Hayes or Dorianne Laux for outstanding work. The foundation also offers a range of fellowships and grants, including the Poetry Foundation Fellowship, which supports emerging poets like Carmen Giménez Smith and Nikky Finney, and the Literary Magazine Fund, which supports independent literary magazines like The Paris Review and Granta. The Poetry Foundation has also partnered with organizations like the PEN America and the Academy of American Poets to promote poetry and support poets.

● Governance_and_Finance

The Poetry Foundation is governed by a board of trustees, which includes notable figures like Henry R. Kravis and Michelle Boone, and is supported by a range of donors and partners, including the National Endowment for the Arts, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The foundation's finances are managed by a team of experienced professionals, who work to ensure the long-term sustainability of the organization and its programs, in collaboration with institutions like the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and the Kellogg School of Management. The Poetry Foundation has also partnered with organizations like the Council on Foundations and the Independent Sector to promote best practices in non-profit governance and finance. Category:Poetry organizations