April is National Poetry Month, created in April of 1996 by the Academy of American Poets to highlight the importance of poetry to the world. Join Poetry@Tech in celebrating poetry and National Poetry Month at Georgia Tech!
Poetry@Tech’s National Poetry Month Activities
Stay tuned for more activities as the month goes on!
Ac
Blurb / Gallery Set
Activities
Blurb / Gallery Set
Yard Signs
Experience poetry all around campus – read what defines a poem and poetry excerpts from poets such as Natalie Diaz, No’u Revilla, Mary Ruefle, Victoria Chang, and Karen An-hwei Lee.
Curated Books of Poetry
Visit the Library and explore a curated selection of poetry books near the Popular Reading area on the first floor of Price Gilbert Memorial Library.
Media Bridge
Engage with poetry at the Media Bridge, where all month, we will be featuring poetry readings by Naomi Shihab Nye, Camille Dungy, Raymond Antrobus, and Richard Siken.
Free Poetry Book Drops + Notecards
Expand your collection with free poetry books and letterpress notecards, dropped twice weekly during the month of April. Follow LMC on Instagram for drop times and locations!
Part II
Blurb / Gallery Set
A Brief History of Poetry@Tech
The origins of Poetry@Tech date back to the 1990s and generous donations from the late Margaret T. and Henry C. Bourne and from business person and current Ivan Allen College Advisory Board member H. Bruce McEver.
McEver’s generosity brought renowned poet Thomas Lux to campus as a visiting writer, and the Bournes’ endowment of a permanent chair in poetry made him a lasting, and legendary, figure on campus.
“Part of my mission at Georgia Tech has been to make the point over and over again — there is not any contradiction between engineering or business or whatever and poetry," Lux said in an interview with Atlanta journalist Paula Gordon. “They can coexist. And they can even strengthen each other.”
Formally founded in 2001, Poetry@Tech has reinforced that point ever since, exposing numerous engineering, computing, business, literature, and media students each year to the extraordinary power and beauty of language.
Since Lux’s passing in 2017, two internationally esteemed poets – Ilya Kaminsky and now Victoria Chang – have proudly held the Margaret T. and Henry C. Bourne Chair in Poetry at Georgia Tech.
In addition to teaching poetry to students, Poetry@Tech has brought poetry to Atlanta with dozens of readings, classes, and other outreach efforts over the years, many of them organized by Associate Director Travis Denton, himself a noted poet and editor of Terminus, Poetry@Tech’s literary magazine.
Events
National Poetry Month Open Mic
April 3, 6 – 7:30 p.m. at Ferst Center Gallery
Celebrate National Poetry Month at an open mic night, where you can share your favorite poem and enjoy a reception with food and drinks.
Get Involved!
Each year, Poetry@Tech organizes programs to promote poetry and poetics. Our acclaimed poetry reading series has introduced audiences to hundreds of legendary poets and critics, including Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winners, MacArthur 'Genius' Grant recipients, and other beloved authors. We also host workshops, craft talks, conversations about poetry, Atlanta-wide poetry festivals, poet-in-school programs, and other activities. Check out videos of all our past poetry readings.
We also offer courses in poetry and creative writing at Georgia Tech. Subscribe to our email list to have the latest Poetry@Tech news and events delivered straight to your inbox (on an infrequent, not spam-y basis)!
All our events are free to attend and, unless specified, open to the public.