For National Poetry Month 2017, we presented Dear Poet, a multimedia education project that invited young people in grades five through twelve to write letters in response to poems written and read by some of the award-winning poets who serve on the Academy of American Poets Board of Chancellors. And to help teachers bring Dear Poet to the classroom, we worked with a curriculum specialist to design a lesson plan, aligned with the Common Core.
Thank you to all of the classrooms that participated in this year’s project. Take a look at a selection of letters and the Chancellors' responses, as well as letters from 826 National Students.
Dear Mark Doty from Afiya
Dear Mark Doty from Menglin
Dear Linda Gregerson from Avery
Dear Linda Gregerson from McKenna
Dear Linda Gregerson from Tyler
Dear Juan Felipe Herrera from Chali
Dear Juan Felipe Herrera from Charley
Dear Juan Felipe Herrera from Saba
Dear Brenda Hillman from Elle
Dear Brenda Hillman from Madeline
Dear Brenda Hillman from Rileigh
Dear Jane Hirshfield from Guadalupe
Dear Jane Hirshfield from Janet
Dear Jane Hirshfield from Logan
Dear Marilyn Nelson from Aniekeme
Dear Marilyn Nelson from Paloma
Dear Marilyn Nelson from Timeija
Dear Alicia Ostriker from Cole
Dear Alicia Ostriker from Sage
Dear Alberto Ríos from Carlos
Dear Alberto Ríos from Joe
Dear Alberto Ríos from Leslie
Dear Alberto Ríos from Veronica
Dear Arthur Sze from Hayden
Dear Arthur Sze from Mathew
Dear Arthur Sze from Uma
Dear Anne Waldman from Frankie
Dear Anne Waldman from Madison
Dear Anne Waldman from Michael