Neighborhood News: Near North Side’s Poetry Foundation celebrates “the power of words to transform lives”
“A poet is, before anything else, a person who is passionately in love with language”
W. H. Auden
Here’s a classic Chicago trivia question to start the new year: Who discovered poets Gwendolyn Brooks, James Merrill, and John Ashbery?
The answer lies in the heart of Chicago’s Near North Side, at the Poetry Foundation, 61 W. Superior Street. The Poetry Foundation’s Library is the Midwest’s only library dedicated to poetry.
As told by the Chicago Tribune, the $21.5 million, two-story structure is the home of the venerable Poetry Magazine, now over a century old, which advanced the careers of such luminaries as T.S. Eliot and Langston Hughes.
The modern structure is full of the history of poetry, its relevance to today, and its everlasting impact on life itself. The ground floor houses an acoustically fine-tuned, 125-seat room for poetry readings and a non-circulating library whose volumes of poetry stand side by side on wood shelves, “like skinny soldiers,” according to the Tribune at its opening. There even is a ceremonial, visiting office for whoever happens to be America’s poet laureate. (NOTE: It’s currently Ada Limón, who began an historic second term in September 2023.)
Visitors may browse a collection of 40,000 volumes of poetry, experience audio and video recordings in private listening booths, and view exhibitions of poetry-related materials. In addition to providing public access to its collections in a reading room, the library hosts interactive workshops, programs, and book clubs to inspire a wider readership for poetry in people of all ages.
History
According to its website, Poetry Magazine was founded in Chicago by Harriet Monroe in 1912.
Poetry Magazine is the oldest monthly journal devoted to verse in the English-speaking world. Harriet Monroe’s “Open Door” policy, outlined in volume one, remains the most succinct statement of Poetry’s mission: to print the best poetry written today, in whatever style, genre, or approach. In recent years, nearly half of the poets published in Poetry have been first-time contributors.
Their website chronicles the long march of the poetry community to remain relevant in a digitally changing world. The 21st Century version of the Poetry Foundation was established in 2003 after receiving a major gift from philanthropist and poetess Ruth Lilly. Back then, it was called the Modern Poetry Association, which was a literary organization founded in 1941 to support the publication of Poetry Magazine.
Lilly’s gift allowed the Poetry Foundation to expand and enhance the presence of poetry in the United States and established an endowment that will fund the advancement of poetry for many generations through grants, awards, preserving the archives, and hosting events.
Part of the Lilly bequest was used to build the Poetry Foundation structure. Designed by architect John Ronan, the building opened in 2011. It houses the poetry library, reading spaces, and free events, all open to the public, and provides office and editorial space for the Poetry Foundation and Poetry magazine staff.
Poetry Library
The library presents a wide selection of modern and contemporary poetry in English or translation. It includes original author works and rare volumes. It also includes representative samples of earlier eras, and includes a 3,000-volume children’s section. In addition to the reading room, there are listening booths for poet audio recordings and broadcasts related to poetry and interactive displays.
Upcoming Event
On Monday, January 13, from 6pm-8pm, author Maggie Queeney will present ‘Forms & Features: Fear & Failure,’ a generative poetry workshop for adults 18 and older, exploring how fear and failure shape our creative practices. Participants will read and discuss a wide variety of texts and poems before composing poems of their own. Many other events are scheduled for the month of January. The Foundation hosts several events a month for amateur and professional poets, and can be found by clicking here.
The Poetry Foundation is open Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 11am–5pm, and on Thursday from 11am-6pm. They are closed Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. For more information, click here.
Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago
