A look at the institutions built and friendships forged by Elizabeth Kray, who shaped the landscape of American poetry from the mid–20th century to the present day.
A Place for Poetry
Poets House is a national poetry library and literary center that invites poets and the public to step into the living tradition of poetry.
In The Spotlight: Our Fall 2018 Season
This fall concludes Poets House’s 30th Anniversary celebration, honoring three decades of making a home for poetry. Please join us as we journey through history with Epic Voices, a series of programs about epics and long poems from ancient to contemporary times. We also invite you to explore Bettissima: Treasures from the Elizabeth Kray Archive, an exhibition of correspondence between great American poets of the 20th century and Betty Kray, who co-founded Poets House with Stanley Kunitz. These events complement other fall programs featuring influential poets and poetic lineages that shape contemporary practice and help us to understand our world.
Upcoming Events
Dec11
Elizabeth "Betty" Kray
Bettissima: Treasures from the Elizabeth Kray Archive
Dec 11, 2018 - Apr 15, 2019Over 100 of Poets House co-founder Elizabeth Kray’s letters to and from acclaimed poets, including Elizabeth Bishop, E. E. Cummings, June Jordan, Denise Levertov, Clarence Major, Adrienne Rich, and more.
…Literary Partners Program: #WordsMatter! An Evening with Poet Mark Doty and Journalists David Barstow and Ginger Thompson
Dec 12, 2018 | 6:30 pm - 8:30 pmAn evening of reading, conversation, and hors d’oeuvres to support the programming of Under the Volcano 2019.
Literary Partners Program: Poets and Publishers
Feb 8, 2019 | 6:00 pm - 7:00 pmPoets and publishers Paul Genega and Pamela Hughes will read from their books of poems and discuss craft and publishing tips.
From the Blog
A Propulsive Thread
With three visual arts examples and a writing prompt, poet Asiya Wadud paves the way to creating stillness and propulsion in poetry.
Transforming Nature with James Schuyler
Carl Phillips explores James Schuyler’s poem “The Bluet,” revealing “a thanksgiving of sorts, for friendship itself, for human company.”
Bettissima: An Exhibition of the Life and Letters of Elizabeth Kray
A look at the institutions built and friendships forged by Elizabeth Kray, who shaped the landscape of American poetry from the mid–20th century to the present day.
A Propulsive Thread
With three visual arts examples and a writing prompt, poet Asiya Wadud paves the way to creating stillness and propulsion in poetry.
Transforming Nature with James Schuyler
Carl Phillips explores James Schuyler’s poem “The Bluet,” revealing “a thanksgiving of sorts, for friendship itself, for human company.”