New York, NY (February 27, 2020)— The Academy of American Poets is pleased to announce its lineup of readers for the 18th annual Poetry & the Creative Mind benefit: Academy Award-winning actress Meryl Streep; Academy Award–nominated actress Sigourney Weaver; Emmy Award–winning journalist Dan Rather; novelist and author of Crazy Rich Asians Kevin Kwan; “30 Rock” actor and author Maulik Pancholy; President of the Open Society Foundations and former Ambassador to South Africa Patrick Gaspard; Director and Chief Curator of The Studio Museum in Harlem Thelma Golden; President of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and poet Elizabeth Alexander; and National Student Poet Alondra Uribe, plus more to come, who will perform their favorite poems in celebration of National Poetry Month on April 29, 2020, at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall.
The annual event, titled Poetry & the Creative Mind, is organized by the Academy of American Poets, the nation’s leading champion of poets, poetry, and the work of poetry organizations nationwide.
Poetry & the Creative Mind promotes our country’s rich poetic legacy and raises critical funds for the organization’s K-12 Education Program, which includes free lesson plans and resources for teachers on Poets.org—the world’s largest publicly-funded website for poets and poetry—and a special writing project for thousands of students. The benefit has raised more than 2.75 million dollars total over seventeen years for the Education Program of the Academy of American Poets.
The reading begins in Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall at 6:30 p.m. General Admission tickets ($45–$75) are available through the Lincoln Center box office. VIP tickets, which include preferred seating for the reading and entry to a private cocktail reception with the evening's readers, can be purchased at poets.org/donate/gala. All proceeds from the event will help support the Academy's Education Program.
The evening is made possible in part by ABRAMS, Andrews McMeel Publishing, Barnes & Noble, JetBlue, Penguin Random House, Poets & Writers, the Poetry Foundation, and our exclusive media partner WNYC.
Learn more about Poetry & the Creative Mind.
About the Academy of American Poets
The Academy of American Poets is the nation’s leading champion of poets and poetry with members in all fifty states. Founded in 1934, the organization produces Poets.org, the world’s largest publicly funded website for poets and poetry; National Poetry Month; the popular Poem-a-Day series; American Poets magazine; Teach This Poem and other award-winning resources for K-12 educators; and an annual series of poetry readings and special events. In addition, the Academy of American Poets coordinates a national Poetry Coalition working together to promote the value poets bring to our culture and the important contribution poetry makes in the lives of people of all ages and backgrounds. This year the organization has awarded more funds to poets than any other organization, giving a total of $1,250,000 to poets at various stages of their careers.