Join the online gala reading on April 30th marking the final night of National Poetry Month: https://pcm24.eventbrite.com
New York, NY (March 22, 2024)—Three-time Oscar-winning actor Meryl Streep; Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and screenwriter Tony Kushner; Tony and Emmy Award-winning actor Courtney B. Vance; Emmy Award-winning actor Paul Giamatti; Obie Award-winning actor Anna Deveare Smith; Grammy-winning classical pianist Emanuel Ax; Grammy and Tony Award-winning actor and singer Phillipa Soo; New York Times culture writer J Wortham; Guggenheim Fellow and conceptual artist Glenn Ligon; literary critic and New Yorker writer Merve Emre; Peabody Award-nominated filmmaker Sterlin Harjo; Pulitzer-prize winning poet Jericho Brown; and National Student Poet Miles Hardingwood are among the luminaries and cultural leaders who will read new and favorite poems at Poetry & the Creative Mind on April 30, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. EDT.
Poetry & the Creative Mind, which has raised more than $3.3 million over the years, is produced by the Academy of American Poets, the nation’s leading champion of poets and poetry, as a National Poetry Month celebration every April. Coinciding with the Academy’s ninetieth anniversary this year, the event raises critical funds for the organization’s award-winning K–12 Education Program, which includes free lesson plans for teachers on Poets.org, the world’s largest publicly-funded resource for poets and poetry. The benefit also provides support for Dear Poet, a special writing project for thousands of students nationwide, as well as for a new series of poetry workshops in New York City schools.
“At the Academy of American Poets, we think a lot about the impact poetry has on the lives of so many readers,” said President and Executive Director Ricardo Alberto Maldonado. “Whether it finds us on our way to work, or in moments of joy or of sadness, poetry is a vital part of how we get to understand our lives. We’re excited to be inviting global audiences back to Poetry & the Creative Mind. This online fundraiser helps us bring poetry into classrooms and supports the transformative power of education, celebrating that all-important dialogue poets and readers of all ages can have in community.”
Over 60,000 poetry fans from around the globe have tuned in to watch Poetry & the Creative Mind since the Academy began offering the event for free online during the pandemic.
“Poetry & the Creative Mind showcases the brightest stars of Hollywood and Broadway alongside the living legends of contemporary art, music, and literature—all reading their favorite poems to you,” said Board Chair Tess O’Dwyer. “As the founders of National Poetry Month, we at the Academy of American Poets are deeply grateful that so many celebrities from the arts and entertainment community lend their talents to this event to inspire deeper appreciation of American poetry. Our free education programs, now reaching 40,000 teachers in classrooms across the United States, thrive thanks to proceeds from this annual benefit.”
The star-studded roster of readers from prior years includes Laurie Anderson, Uzo Aduba, Willem Dafoe, Claire Danes, Ethan Hawke, Terrance Howard, Bill T. Jones, Wynton Marsalis, Liam Neeson, Susan-Lori Parks, Paul Simon, Patti Smith, Uma Thurman, Carrie Mae Weems, and Malala Yousafzai. Poets have included Academy Chancellors Frank Bidart, Jorie Graham, Joy Harjo, Kimiko Hahn, Terrance Hayes, and Mark Strand.
Registration for Poetry & the Creative Mind is free and open to the public: https://pcm24.eventbrite.com. All proceeds support the Academy’s Education Program.
About the Academy of American Poets
Celebrating its ninetieth anniversary in 2024, the Academy of American Poets is a leading publisher of contemporary poetry across the country. The organization annually awards $1.3+ million to more than two hundred poets at various stages of their careers through its prize program. It also produces Poets.org, the world’s largest publicly funded resource for poets and poetry; established and organizes National Poetry Month each April; publishes the Poem-a-Day series and American Poets magazine; provides free resources to educators; hosts an annual series of poetry readings and special events; and coordinates a national Poetry Coalition that promotes the value poets bring to our culture. To learn more about the Academy of American Poets, including its staff, its Board of Directors, and its Board of Chancellors, visit https://poets.org/.