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We at the Poetry Society congratulate Tracy K. Smith, winner of the 2012 Pulitzer Prize in Poetry for her collection, Life on Mars. Tracy is pictured here with Yusef Komunyakaa (winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1994 and the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Prize that same year for his collection, Neon Vernacular.) Read Full Post

Two months ago, we received a galley of the new edition of Philip Larkin's Complete Poems, edited by Archie Burnett and just published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux. I realized that Larkin had never been celebrated in New York, and on the galvanizing energy of "attention must be paid," I phoned some of the people whom I know are (or guessed would be) passionate readers of his poetry. Read Full Post

"Back by popular demand" are the first words of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's press release about the relaunch of our joint—and immensely beloved—Poetry in Motion Program in the subway cars of New York City. (You can read all about the ceremony at Grand Central Terminal and the marvelous expansion of the program in the news articles referenced in our website section "Just in now.") Read Full Post

The Poetry Society of America is honored to announce that Wanda Coleman is the 2012 recipient of the organization's Shelley Memorial Award, presented annually to a living American poet selected with reference to his or her genius and need by a jury of poets. This year's judges were Gary Young, appointed by the president of the University of California at Berkeley and Rigoberto Gonzalez appointed by the Poetry Society of America. Read Full Post

On the heels of announcing an 8 million dollar boost to the 2013 NEA budget and a proposed increase of 5% for arts and culture overall, President Obama honored recipients of the 2011 National Medal of Arts and the 2011 National Humanities Medal with a ceremony yesterday afternoon at the White House. Among the honorees were two poets, Rita Dove, recognized with the National Medal of Arts, and John Ashbery, recognized with the National Humanities Medal. Read Full Post