BOA Blog

[caption id="attachment_373" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Sharon Bryan. BOA poet."][/caption] Gently Read Literature has emerged as one of those increasingly rare breeds - an intelligent review publication that takes the time to publish in-depth, comprehensive reviews of poetry and fiction. It doesn't matter whether a publication is online or in-print, any venue publishing thoughtful reviews these days should be celebrated and supported. We're thrilled to have Sharon Bryan's Sharp Stars (winner of the Isabella Gardner Poetry Award for 2009) reviewed by J. Michael Wahlgren for the current issue of Gently Read Literature. The review starts: "In Sharp Stars, Sharon Bryan is concerned...

[caption id="attachment_369" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Naomi Shihab Nye. BOA Poet. Chancellor."][/caption] Everyone here at BOA joins together with Naomi Shihab Nye's many fans to wish her congratulations on being nominated as Chancellor of Academy of American Poets. In addition to being a stellar poet, Naomi is a passionate advocate for poetry - and also a warm, compassionate person. The Academy chose well! Here is the official press release from the Academy of American Poets: New York, January 11--Tree Swenson, Executive Director of the Academy of American Poets, announced that Naomi Shihab Nye and Marie Ponsot have been elected to the Board...

[caption id="attachment_360" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Santo Domingo Launch of Praises & Offenses"][/caption] BOA translator Judith Kerman just returned from the launch event for Praises & Offenses: Three Women Poets from the Dominican Republic held in Santo Domingo. The event featured Kerman alongside Praises & Offenses poets Angela Hernández Núñez and Ylonka Nacidit-Perdomo (the third contributor, Aida Cartagena Portalatín, is deceased). Also in attendance were the Cultural Attache of the US Embassy and a literature official from the Ministry of Culture. For Spanish-speakers, there is an extensive article about the event here: TRES POETAS DOMINICANAS Judith Kerman has also agreed to guest-blog...

[caption id="attachment_354" align="alignleft" width="130" caption="Lucille Clifton reading at 2007 Dine & Rhyme"][/caption] Each year, BOA hosts an event called Dine & Rhyme in Rochester, NY. It's a fundraising event - but it's also a chance to bring a BOA author to town and gather local BOA supporters all under one "tent." In 2007, Lucille Clifton was our featured BOA author (there was also an outstanding introductory reading by Poulin Prize-winning author Dan Albergotti). We captured the event on video and you can watch the whole thing at the below link. Enjoy! http://boaeditions.org/Video/LucilleCliftonFlash/LucilleClifton.html

[caption id="attachment_350" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Ruth Lilly, 1915-2009"][/caption] BOA extends our sympathies to the family and friends of Ruth Lilly. She was one of the greatest poetry patrons our country has known, and her generosity touched BOA as well as everyone in poetry. In 2007, Lucille Clifton received the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize, one of the most prestigious awards given to American poets and one of the largest literary honors for work in the English language. The award was wonderful recognition for Lucille (she was also the first African American woman to receive the honor) and for BOA as well. The...