National Poetry Month 2019: A Roundup
In honor of National Poetry Month, PEN America has curated a selection of the best poetry, interviews, readings, and more, from across our decades-long history with the celebrated art form. Our PEN Poetry Series, edited by Danniel Schoonebeek, has published works by acclaimed poets Maggie Nelson, Hanif Abdurraqib, Nicole Sealey, Tommy Pico, Jonah Mixon-Webster, and many more. PEN America has also interviewed dozens of poets in our biweekly PEN Ten interviews, which seek to elevate debut works, feature our own awardees and event participants, and glean insight from master writers. Our Digital Archives present PEN America’s long-standing relationship with the poetry community, and bring to life the voices of literary luminaries like Allen Ginsberg, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Sharon Olds. As we reflect on our past, we also look to the bright future: The 2019 PEN World Voices Festival will host a variety of events with poets from around the globe, including Morgan Parker, Juan Felipe Herrera, Sonia Sanchez, Kirill Medvedev, and more. Be sure to check out the full lineup of events here »
The PEN Poetry Series
PEN Ten Poet Interviews
The PEN Ten with Carlina Duan
There is a responsibility that I owe to myself, and to a lineage of my loved ones and those who came before us to actively resist, to protest, to… More
The PEN Ten with Martín Espada
"As a poet with a background in law, I am obsessed by the philosophy, the poetics, and the practice of justice. I am obsessed by what Whitman calls, 'the… More
The PEN Ten with Kamilah Aisha Moon
Facts seem immutable, but they are used to construct reality and serve experience, which varies so widely and seems inextricably tied to what one believes. More
The PEN Ten with Romeo Oriogun
I do not have the luxury of forgetting my identity, it is one I must carry and always be aware of as I navigate spaces where I don't feel… More
The PEN Ten with Elizabeth Hawes
"While we cannot force people to absorb or connect with our words, we can write and know that we plant seeds and the garden will come." More
Upcoming Poetry Events
Join us at the 2019 PEN World Voices Festival: Open Secrets
Below is a selection of Festival events related to poets and poetry.
For the full schedule, click here.
THE INHERITANCE: MORGAN PARKER, JERICHO BROWN, AND FATIMAH ASGHAR
Morgan Parker, Jericho Brown, Fatimah Asghar
05/07, 7-8:30pm
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OPPRESSION REWRITTEN
Kwame Dawes, Valzhyna Mort
05/07, 7-8:30pm
Free with RSVP »
THE POLITICS OF POETRY: DISSENTING POETICS
Valzhyna Mort, Simone White, Kirill Medvedev, Marianna Kiyanovska
05/08, 7-8:30pm
Free with RSVP »
RAÚL ZURITA
Raúl Zurita, William Rowe, Norma Cole
05/08, 8-9:30pm
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POETRY TO POWER
Caridad De La Luz, Juan Felipe Herrera
05/10, 7-8:30pm
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BABYN YAR: THROUGH THE VOICES OF THE FALLEN
Polina Barskova, Marianna Kiyanovska
05/11, 6-8:00pm
Free with RSVP »
REVOLUTIONARY ART, LOVE, AND FAMILY
April R. Silver, Ras J. Baraka, Sonia Sanchez
05/12, 3pm
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