December 10, 2019 (New York, NY)— The Poetry Coalition, an alliance of more than 25 independent poetry organizations across the United States, will devote March 2020 to exploring the theme “I am deliberate/ and afraid/ of nothing: Poetry & Protest” in a series of programs in eleven cities that will reach an anticipated audience of more than 300,000 individuals nationwide.
The line “I am deliberate/ and afraid/ of nothing: Poetry & Protest” is from the poem “New Year’s Day” by Audre Lorde.
The theme was inspired by a number of occasions taking place next year, including the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote and the 50th anniversary of the tragic shooting of student protesters at Kent State University, as well as the role poetry has played in encouraging civic and grassroots engagement, and contributed to public debate and dialogue.
Poetry Coalition members aim to demonstrate how poetry can positively provoke questions in their communities about timely and pressing issues, and spark increased empathy and understanding.
This will be the fourth year Poetry Coalition members have come together to offer programming on a shared theme. Members presented events and publications on the theme “What Is It, Then, Between Us?: Poetry & Democracy” in March 2019; “Where My Dreaming and My Loving Live: Poetry & the Body” in March 2018; and “Because We Come From Everything: Poetry & Migration” in March 2017.
Any and all literary organizations, presses, libraries, bookstores, and beyond are invited to offer their own March programming on the theme in support of and in partnership with the Poetry Coalition.
Find and promote your own projects with the hashtags #PoetryandProtest and #PoetryCoalition.
About the Poetry Coalition
Launched in 2016, the Poetry Coalition is a national alliance of independent organizations dedicated to 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. The Poetry Coalition and its programmatic efforts are supported by a major grant to the Academy of American Poets from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
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.