Every year, the Academy of American Poets invites twelve new Guest Editors to each curate a month of Poem-a-Day, the original and only daily poetry series sharing previously unpublished poems by today’s poets.

The 2020 cohort of Guest Editors, who included the current U.S. poet laureate, are all award-winning poets who represent wide-ranging expertise and editorial perspectives, hailing from California to Texas to Minnesota to North Carolina. Learn more about them below, read their poetry, and browse the poems they curated for Poem-a-Day. 

In solidarity with the June protests and the Black Lives Matter movement, Poem-a-Day was dedicated to featuring Black poets, engaging a number of Black curators throughout the summer to guest edit the series. Read more about all of our curators for the year and see the updated schedule

Sign up for Poem-a-Day.

Read about the 2020 Guest Editors and Guest Editors for 2019 and 2018.

Meg Day

January 2020 Poem-a-Day Guest Editor Meg Day

Read a short Q&A with Meg Day on their curatorial process for January, and read the full month of Poem-a-Day.
Roger Reeves, credit Beowulf Sheehan

February 2020 Poem-a-Day Guest Editor Roger Reeves

Read a short Q&A with Roger Reeves on his curatorial process for February, and read the month of Poem-a-Day.

Dana Levin, credit B. A. Van SIse

March 2020 Poem-a-Day Guest Editor Dana Levin

Read a short Q&A with Dana Levin on her curatorial process for March and the month of Poem-a-Day.
Joy Harjo, credit Karen Kuehn

April 2020 Poem-a-Day Guest Editor Joy Harjo

Read a short Q&A with U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo on her curatorial process for April, as well as her curated poems.

Monica Youn

May 2020 Poem-a-Day Guest Editor Monica Youn

Read a short Q&A with Monica Youn on her curatorial process for May, and the full curation of Poem-a-Day.
Major Jackson

Summer 2020 Poem-a-Day Guest Editor Major Jackson

Read a short Q&A with Major Jackson on his curatorial process for June 22–July 3, 2020, and read the Poem-a-Day selections.
january gill o'neil

Summer 2020 Poem-a-Day Guest Editor January Gill O'Neil

Read a short Q&A with January Gill O'Neil on her curatorial process for July 6–July 17, 2020.
Mahogany L. Browne

Summer 2020 Poem-a-Day Guest Editor Mahogany L. Browne

Read a short Q&A on Browne's curatorial process, as well as her full Poem-a-Day curation.
Marilyn Nelson_NewBioImage2020_110x110_credit Curt Richter.png

Summer 2020 Poem-a-Day Guest Editor Marilyn Nelson

Read a short Q&A on Nelson's curatorial process, as well as her full Poem-a-Day curation.
A H Jerriod Avant_Homepage image 2020_696x486

Summer 2020 Poem-a-Day Guest Editor A. H. Jerriod Avant

Read a short Q&A with A. H. Jerriod Avant on his curatorial process for August 17–August 28, 2020.
Nicole Sealey

Summer 2020 Poem-a-Day Guest Editor Nicole Sealey

Read a short Q&A with Nicole Sealey on her curatorial process for August 31–September 11, 2020, and the two weeks of Poem-a-Day.
David Tomas Martinez

September 2020 Poem-a-Day Guest Editor David Tomas Martinez

Read a short Q&A with David Tomas Martinez on his curatorial process for September 14–October 15, 2020.
Ari Banias, photo credit Solmaz Sharif

June/October Poem-a-Day Guest Editor Ari Banias

Read a short Q&A with Ari Banias on his curatorial process for June.
credit Chris Felver

November 2020 Poem-a-Day Guest Editor Heid E. Erdrich

Read a short Q&A with Heid E. Erdrich on her curatorial process for November 2020.
Brian Blanchfield

December 2020 Poem-a-Day Guest Editor Brian Blanchfield

The Academy of American Poets invited