New York, NY (March 11, 2014) — Meryl Streep, Tina Fey, Patrick Stewart, Julianna Margulies, Esperanza Spalding, Billy Crudup, Carrie Mae Weems, Kevin Kline, Parker Posey, Chip Kidd, Rosie Perez, Drew Nieporent, National Student Poet Michaela Coplen, and others will perform great American poems at Poetry & the Creative Mind, an extraordinary evening celebrating the role of contemporary poetry in American culture, which will be held on April 24, 2014 at 6:30 p.m. at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center. Now in its 12th year, Poetry & the Creative Mind helps raise critical funds for the education programs of the Academy of American Poets, the nonprofit organization behind National Poetry Month and the popular website Poets.org.

To mark the Academy of American Poets’ 80th anniversary, this year’s Poetry & the Creative Mind presenters will share poems from the last 80 years of American poetry. Many of the poems will be available on Poets.org, which will re-launch in April with a new look.

The Academy of American Poets launched National Poetry Month in April 1996, and today it is the largest literary celebration in the world, reaching over 10 million Americans. Funds raised at Poetry & the Creative Mind enable the Academy to provide free access to educational resources on Poets.org and distribute over 100,000 complimentary National Poetry Month posters to schools, libraries, bookstores, and community centers each year.

Poetry & the Creative Mind tickets range from $45-75 and are available through the Lincoln Center box office. For the full lineup for 2014 and more information, visit Poets.org.

About the Academy of American Poets

Now in its 80th year, the Academy of American Poets is the largest membership-based nonprofit organization fostering an appreciation for contemporary poetry and supporting American poets. For over three generations, the Academy has connected millions of people to great poetry through programs such as National Poetry Month, the largest literary celebration in the world; Poets.org, the Academy’s popular website; American Poet, a biannual literary journal; and an annual series of poetry readings and special events. In addition, since its founding in 1934, the Academy has awarded more money to poets than any other organization. For more information, visit Poets.org.

About the National Student Poets Program

The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers partner to present the National Student Poets Program (NSPP), the country’s highest honor for youth poets presenting original work. Five outstanding high school poets whose work exhibits exceptional creativity, dedication to craft, and promise are selected annually for a year of service as national poetry ambassadors. For more about the National Student Poets Program, please visit pcah.gov.