Poems for Independence Day, Rediscovering Christopher Gilbert, and More

View this email on a browser Forward to a friend June 30, 2015 Poems for July 4th   Celebrate Independence Day with these meditations on America from the past and present.   “Praise Song for the Day” by Elizabeth Alexander “América” by Richard Blanco “I, Too” by Langston Hughes “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus “The Congressional Library [excerpt]” by Amy Lowell “America” by Claude McKay “America” by Walt Whitman

We Are Our Situation: The Poetry of Christopher Gilbert   After publishing his Walt Whitman Award–winning debut collection in 1984, Christopher Gilbert vanished from the poetry world. In his new essay, Terrance Hayes investigates the poetic legacy of Christopher Gilbert’s work, including the posthumous publication this month of Gilbert’s second book.  More poems on America from the past and present. Rachel Zucker reads “Please Alice Notley Tell Me How to Be Old.” Kevin Varrone on baseball, poetry, and fatherhood. Two Weeks until the Summer Reading Series   Join us on July 14 at 6:00 p.m. for a free reading by poets Meena Alexander, Ross Gay, and January Gill O’Neil at the historic New York Public Library. The reading will be held at the Stephen A. Schwartzman Building, Margaret Liebman Berger Forum, Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street, 2nd Floor, Room 227.   Robert Hass on Czesław Miłosz   In this video, Robert Hass reads a long poem about poetics and an imaginary conversation with his friend, the late Polish poet Czesław Miłosz, born this day in 1911.   “The purpose of poetry is to remind us how difficult it is to remain just one person.” —Czesław Miłosz, 1911–2004   Thanks for being a part of the Academy of American Poets community. To learn about other programs, including National Poetry Month, Poem in Your Pocket Day, the annual Poets Forum, and more, visit Poets.org.   You are receiving this e-mail because you elected to subscribe to our mailing list. If you would like to unsubscribe, please click here.   © Academy of American Poets 75 Maiden Lane, Suite 901, New York, NY 10038