and the college’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Poetry Center
Founded in 1997, The Poetry Center’s core mission is to bring poets of national and international stature to campus to inspire students and the Smith community. All events are free and open to the public.
Announcements & Updates
“You May Notice Some Changes”
A call & response collaboration between Poetry Concentration students and Photo I students in spring 2020, “You May Notice Some Changes” explores life during the COVID-19 pandemic in their words and images.
Poetry Center Renga Project
Read about the Poetry Center’s Renga Project. Renga is a Japanese form that originated in the 12th century, and the name means “linked poem.” Its form is collaborative and allows us to communicate across physical distance. In renga, participants only see the stanza that directly precedes their own, so any thematic links that emerge are often surprising and speak to the tone of the times in which the poem is written.
International Poetry Day Goes Digital for 2020
Even though we weren’t able to hold International Poetry Day at the Poetry Center this year—where students present poems in their original languages and in translation—we’ve still managed to find a way to share our students’ international poems.
Poetry Care Packages
Since we can’t bring poetry to campus right now, we want to bring poetry directly to you with digital poetry care packages. To sign up, and to tell us what you’d like to find in it, please fill out the digital care package form.
Events
Due to COVID-19, all Poetry Center events for the spring 2020 semester were canceled. For more details on events and announcements, visit our Poetry in Action page.
Broadsides
The Poetry Center offers a series of fine letterpress broadsides signed by the poets and designed and illustrated by Barry Moser, printer to the college.
Support Our Programming
Every gift helps, whether to fund a visit by a far-flung poet or to support our outreach activities, video and library collection or student staff. Donate online or make checks payable to Smith College and mail to the Smith College Poetry Center, c/o Gift Accounting, Stoddard Annex, 23 Elm Street, Northampton, MA 01063. Thank you for your generous support!
Contact
Fax: 413-585-3339
Director: Matt Donovan
Administrative Assistant:
Jennifer Blackburn