Poets Across Lines is a cross-regional program presented in Birmingham, Alabama and Tucson, Arizona offering poets in the two regions financial and material support to create original poems around the themes of housing, immigration, and/or LGBTQIA+ experience. The program is committed to providing an opportunity for poets local to each city who don’t have the support and resources of academic spaces. Poets Across Lines aims to serve poets who identify as Black, Indigenous, persons of color, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, and poets with disabilities. Through mentor-led workshops, curated introductions to guest speakers, and financial support, this four-month program builds an intimately connected cohort of non-academic poets across regions to create work that tells the story of their communities—joys, challenges, and resilience.
Program Benefits and Components
Mentorship and Feedback on Poetry
- Three in-person poetry workshops with experienced instructors
- Q&A’s with guest speakers established in the poetry field
- Development of new creative work
- Feedback on poetry written in both English and Spanish (Tucson only)
Cross-Regional Community
- Poetry, craft, and publishing conversations with industry professionals
- One virtual event with all program participants
- A one-year membership to PEN America
Financial and Promotional Support
- $1,250 stipend
- Publication in an online zine on PEN America’s website
Meet the Mentors
Application Checklist and Eligibility
Application Checklist
All applications must be completed and contain the following:
- Writing Sample (3-5 poems)
- Emerging Poet Statement
- Advocacy and Community Engagement Statement
Program Timeline
The four months of the program are designed for participants to have time and guidance to work on new poems that reflect the themes of housing, immigration, and/or LGBTQIA+ identity.
- August 1st – August 23rd : Application Period
- September 9 : Final Program Participants Announced
- September – November : Poets Across Lines Program
- December : Final Virtual Performance
Eligibility
- Applicants must be 18 years of age or older at time of application.
- Applicants do not need to be a U.S. permanent resident and/or citizen but must be residing in the United States and able to commute to Tucson, Arizona or Birmingham, Alabama at the time of applying for, and during the duration of, the program.
- Applicants must be available to participate actively in all dimensions of programming, including mandatory in-person workshops, virtual gatherings with guest speakers and virtual final reading.
- Applicants cannot be currently pursuing or the recipient of an advanced degree in creative writing (fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry) at the time of the program’s start date (September 2024).
- Applicants cannot have one or more books published through major or independent publishers, university presses, or established presses, nor have a book under contract to a publisher at the time of application. Chapbooks or work published in literary journals are acceptable.
- Former participants of one of PEN America’s writing programs are not eligible to apply.
- Applicants writing in Spanish are eligible to apply to Tucson, Arizona only.
Selection Criteria and Process
Given the highly competitive nature of the selection process for this program, we advise using care in your project application. Though the application will be assessed as a whole, poets will be selected primarily based on the strength of the writing sample by a committee composed of PEN America staff and the Program Advisors for each city. We encourage you to submit writing that best showcases your work.
Closely review all required materials listed below. Please be mindful of the specific application requests. Failure to follow instructions carefully will result in disqualification. Late applications will not be accepted, without exception. We suggest you submit early to avoid technical issues. Applicants may only submit poetry to the 2024 program.
The selection decisions of PEN America and the Poets Across Lines Advisory Committee will be final and not subject to review. We regret that due to the volume of applications, we will not be able to provide any individualized feedback at any point during or after the application process.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the application open?
The application will be available on Submittable starting August 1, 2024 at 9:00 AM EST and will close on August 23, 2024 at 10:00 PM EST.
When and where will the in-person workshops be held?
The date, time, and location of the three monthly in-person workshops will be determined by the Mentor and participants based on availability, desired resources, and accessibility.
When and where will the guest speaker sessions be held?
The three monthly guest speaker sessions will be held virtually on Zoom. They will take place September-November on the last Monday of the month (subject to change).
Can I apply if I don’t live in either of the two cities?
Participants are required to attend three in-person workshops in either Tucson, Arizona or Birmingham, Alabama during the program. Applicants do not need to reside in either city but must be within the state and able to commute to the workshop.
Can I apply if my writing is in another language?
Poets Across Lines is accepting applications in Spanish for Tucson, Arizona only.
For more information, please write to [email protected].
Advisory Committee
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