Candace Bushnell, Dianne Reeves, Katie Couric, and Meryl Streep, at the 2008 Poetry & the Creative Mind benefit

On April 5, 2012, the Academy of American Poets will present the 10th annual Poetry & the Creative Mind, at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center.

Tickets are now available and can be purchased through the Lincoln Center website, the Alice Tully Hall box office, or by phone at (212) 721-6500.

Some of America's leading artists, scholars, and public figures participated in this extraordinary evening celebrating the role of contemporary poetry in American culture. Each year, Poetry & The Creative Mind raises money for the programs of the Academy of American Poets, including National Poetry Month, which was established by the Academy in 1996 and is now the largest literary celebration in the world.

Explore the highlights of previous Poetry & the Creative Mind celebrations, including photos as well as lists of poems that were read.

2005 Benefit
2006 Benefit
2007 Benefit
2008 Benefit
2009 Benefit
2010 Benefit
2011 Benefit

Tony Kushner and Suzan-Lori Parks	Alan Alda
Alfre Woodard	David Halberstam and Simon Schama

Special guest readers for 2011 included:

Alec Baldwin	Dan Barber
Adrien Brody	Michael Cunningham
Jesse Eisenberg	Caroline Kennedy
Liev Schreiber	Patti Smith
Cassandra Wilson

... with master of ceremonies Chip Kidd

Guest readers in past years include:

Wynton Marsalis Photo by Keith Major

Zadie Smith Photo by Roderick Field