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
Eligibility Info and FAQ
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.
- 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 for Tucson, Arizona only.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the application open?
Applications are currently closed for Poets Across Lines. Please check back for any updates.
How can I download the 2024 Poets Across Lines zine?
Watching for the Moon Above: Poets Across Lines 2024 collaborative zine designed and published by Pansy Press can be downloaded here.
When and where are the in-person workshops held?
The date, time, and location of the three monthly in-person workshops is determined by the Mentor and participants based on availability, desired resources, and accessibility.
When and where are the guest speaker sessions held?
The three monthly guest speaker sessions are held virtually on Zoom.
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 accepts applications in Spanish for Tucson, Arizona only.
For more information, please write to [email protected].
Advisory Committee
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