Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from West Chester University Poetry Center, College & University, 720 South High Street, West Chester, PA.
The WCU Poetry Center offers a variety of programs and activities that help expand its mission of furthering the study of traditional poetic craft and bringing poetry to an ever-widening audience.
10/28/2024
There are 3 weeks left to submit your manuscript to the Donald Justice Poetry Prize contest! This year's judge is Major Jackson and the winning book will be published by Autumn House Press
Guidelines: www.wcupa.edu/PoetryContests/
In mid-April, after working in the Fall 23 semester with student focus groups, we rebranded the CRAFT Fest. We began on Sunday, April 14, with Lee Bahan's wonderful hybrid New Works panel featuring Lee, Allison Joseph, John Drury, and Daniel Bourne. That afternoon, we hosted an awards ceremony for the 3-12 Grade Poetry Contest. During this hybrid event, the young poets read their prize winning work.
The centerpiece of our three-day event was Pop-Up Poetry Day. The day began with our keynote speaker, Patricia Smith reading poetry to a crowd of WCU students, faculty and staff as well as groups of middle schoolers from three local schools. In the months leading up to the event, I worked with several education students to develop educational, creative activities for visiting 3-12 graders. Simultaneously, I worked with our poetry center intern to create a festival environment for the college students. We had an open mic with poetry and musical performances, as well as tables with poetry prompts and literature and arts related student groups.
It was a lovely day! Hundreds of students of all ages enjoyed the activities. At the end of the day, we hosted the Spencer Awards—student award winners joined us, Ernest Hilbert announced the winners, and Donald Justice Poetry Prize winner Sunni Brown Wilkinson and Wil Mills Chapbook Award winner, Guy D’anofolo read their riveting work. Then, we closed the day with our Donald Justice Poetry Prize Judge, Patricia Smith’s phenomenal reading.
The festival ended with Poetry and Languages Day on April 16th planned in cooperation with colleagues from WCU's Languages and Cultures Department, Daniela Johannes and Gloria Hernandez. The curated readings and workshops with phenomenal Latinx poets Roger Santinavez, David Acosta, and Miguel Bacho, as well as a translation workshop with our beloved Rhina Espaillat. The day ended with a celebratoty reading of Global Poetry in translation.
A wonderful time was had by all! (Pictures to follow!)
04/30/2024
Good morning friends of WCU Poetry Center!
On this last day of National Poetry Month, it feels like a good time to review, give updates and thanks!
We started out with a return visit of two 3rd grade classes from Chesterbrook Academy. It was a full circle moment, as the teacher Ms. Gabi Carter was a student years ago in Mrs. Amberlee Haggerty’s middle school class. They recognized each other immediately, and Gabi said Amberlee was her favorite English teacher! The kids enjoyed a day on campus, visiting special collections at the library, participating in a scavenger hunt in the children’s library (planned by our BSED volunteers) and participating in our poetry stations (designed by students). They also created a poetrree with leaves that featured lines from their favorite poems.
I’ve posted a few pics from the day featuring our grad and undergrad student volunteers, as well as our Poetree!
A fun day had by all!
Thanks to Ms. Carter and her colleague, Mrs. Defeo, for bringing their lively poetry loving students to WCU!
04/13/2024
On Tuesday April 16th, come to Poetry and Languages Day! Latinx Poetry Center Programming at WCU!
04/13/2024
We're Popping Up Tomorrow!
Join us for FREE in person or virtually!
Hey Everyone,
The incomparable Lee Bahan has worked so hard on this New Works Panel featuring herself, Allison Joseph, John Drury, and Daniel Bourne! We will also be celebrating the life and work of Colleen McElroy and the republication of Bone Flames!
You can participate via Zoom for FREE tomorrow, April 14th, at 3:30 PM. You can find the link on our website: https://www.wcupa.edu/arts-humanities/poetry/poetryConference.aspx
Or, if you are in the area, feel free to join us on campus in the SECC Building Room 108 (where we were last June). Here's another version of the link, just in case: https://wcupa.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9KVcztTnfwefAto
Looking forward,
Cherise
04/07/2024
Hey Everyone,
The incomparable Lee Bahan has worked so hard on this New Works Panel featuring herself, Allison Joseph, John Drury, and Daniel Bourne! We will also be celebrating the life and work of Colleen McElroy and the republication of Bone Flames!
You can participate via Zoom for FREE tomorrow, April 14th, at 3:30 PM. You can find the link on our website: https://www.wcupa.edu/arts-humanities/poetry/poetryConference.aspx
Or, if you are in the area, feel free to join us on campus in the SECC Building Room 108 (where we were last June). Here's another version of the link, just in case: https://wcupa.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9KVcztTnfwefAto
Looking forward,
Cherise
03/25/2024
UPDATE: We are on and Poppin!
Pop-Up Poetry Fest begins tomorrow!
Check it out!
All information, including links for the virtual component of our events on Sunday and Monday can be found here:
https://www.wcupa.edu/arts-humanities/poetry/poetryConference.aspx
We are super excited to share this news with our Poetry Center Community!
WCU C.R.A.F.T. Fest returns this spring with three days of amazing programming.
On Sunday, April 14th at 2PM, we will feature our 3-12th grade poetry contest awards ceremony. This will be a hybrid event.
On Sunday, April 14th, at 3PM we will host Lee Bahan's New Works Panel, "We Come Bearing Gifts: New Works by Four Midwestern Poets" featuring Lee Bahan, Daniel Bourne, John Drury, and Allison Joseph with a tribute to Colleen McElroy. This will be a hybrid event. Links in the flier.
We will be hosting our first ever Pop-Up Poetry Festival on April 15th, 2024, featuring the iconic, award-winning poet, Patricia Smith! She will read at 10 am and give her keynote address at 4PM.
We are so very happy that our Fall 2023 Poet-in-Residence, Ernest Hilbert, will be teaching a workshop (in-person) at 2PM, as well as joining us for the Iris N. Spencer Awards Ceremony at 4PM. There are still some spots open for this in-person workshop! The link is in the flier.
I look forward to seeing everyone there!
The entire event is FREE and open to the public!