New York, NY (October 4, 2012) – "The Poets Forum is a true assembly of minds, a market-place of ideas. You'll find no posturing of pronouncements, no peacocks or princesses - just poetry, poetry, poetry." – Rita Dove

"Poetry is an ancient art that is ever new, which is proved each fall by the Poets Forum – a splendid gathering, a rambunctious and diverse chorus, a forum of spirited solitaries. " – Edward Hirsch

Each fall, poets and poetry lovers throughout the world unite in New York City for a three-day celebration of poetry called Poets Forum. Organized by the Academy of American Poets, Poets Forum explores the ever-changing landscape of contemporary poetry in America. Attendees can engage with panels of talented young writers discussing timely topics such as “Poetry in the Age of Social Media” and hear some of the most acclaimed poets of our day, the Academy’s Board of Chancellors, recite their poetry and share their insights on topics such as “The Poetry and Legacy of Adrienne Rich”, and “The Beats, New York School, and Language Poetry”. On poet-guided walking tours, participants can follow in the footsteps of Walt Whitman, Marianne Moore, E.E. Cummings, and Langston Hughes, while exploring the literary history of Harlem, the West Village, the Museum of Modern Art, and SoHo. In addition, this year the eminent poet Elizabeth Alexander will give a lecture entitled “Reconsidering Lucille Clifton”.

The sixth annual Poets Forum will be held on October 18 – 20, 2012, on the campuses of NYU and The New School. From the Forum’s kick-off, a dynamic reading by the Academy’s Chancellors (including Mark Doty, Carl Phillips, Juan Felipe Herrera, and Sharon Olds), till the final event, a launch party for issue 43 of the newly redesigned American Poet journal, Poets Forum is an inspiring and educational foray into the world of poetry for those who create, and those who appreciate, the living art.

The Academy of American Poets is a nonprofit organization founded in 1934 to foster appreciation for contemporary poetry and to support 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 most popular site about poetry on the web; the Poetry Audio Archive; American Poet, a biannual literary journal; and an annual series of poetry readings and special events. Since 1934, the Academy has awarded more money to poets than any other organization. For more information about the Academy of American Poets, visit www.poets.org.

Audio clips, video clips, and photographs from previous Poets Forums are available upon request. See a sample of Poets Forum photos from 2011 on the following page.

2012 POETS FORUM PARTICIPANTS

Elizabeth Alexander
Mary Jo Bang
Mark Bibbins
Victor Hernández Cruz
Toi Derricotte
Timothy Donnelly
Mark Doty
Marilyn Hacker
Lyn Hejinian
Juan Felipe Herrera
Brenda Hillman
Edward Hirsch
Jane Hirshfield
Randall Mann
Ben Mirov
D. Nurkse
Naomi Shihab Nye
Sharon Olds
Ron Padgett
Carl Phillips
Brenda Shaughnessy
Patricia Smith
Gary Snyder
Arthur Sze
Craig Morgan Teicher
Anne Waldman
and more!

For more information and a full schedule of events, please visit www.poets.org/poetsforum.