American Poetry Today

The American poet Ezra Pound proclaimed that “Poetry is news that stays news!” On a different note, his contemporary William Carlos Williams said that “It is difficult / to get the news from poems / yet men die miserably every day / for lack / of what is found there.”

Do modernist maxims such as these also define the ever-expanding range and diversity of poetry today? Which poets are doing interesting or important work? Who are the earlier poets that inspired them? And what is the nature, role, appeal and significance of contemporary poetry? When it comes to grasping experiences and communicating their meaning, what does this art form provide that fiction, journalism, academic writing, film, and other genres do not? Indeed, in this age of sociopolitical turmoil, Internet overload, media saturation, and often chaotic or reductive thinking, in what sense does poetry offer deeper, more gratifying kinds of engagement?

In response to questions such as these, a roundtable of diverse and accomplished poets will discuss what is going on in the poetry world today. They will explore the allure and value of contemporary poetry through different lenses—conceptual, musical, visual, literary, sociopolitical, and psychological. (The second part of the program will consist of a lively Q & A.)

This event will be curated by Anne-Marie Levine, Chair of the Arts and Humanities Committee at the Helix Center for Interdiscipliary Investigation.