Literary Organization Detail:
Poets & Writers Inc

General Information:
Type:	Literary Organization
Name:	Poets & Writers Inc
Address:	90 Broad Street Suite 2100 New York NY 10004
County/Region:	New York (Manhattan)
Description:	What Is Readings / Workshops? The mission of Poets & Writers is to foster the professional development of poets and writers, to promote communication throughout the United States literary community, and to help create an environment in which literature can be appreciated by the widest possible public. One of many programs of Poets & Writers, the Readings / Workshops program is active in New York State, California, Chicago and Detroit. Readings / Workshops connects writers and audiences by supporting public literary events in diverse rural and urban settings. Poets & Writers provides matching fees to writers for readings, performances and writing workshops hosted by community-based presenters. Other Poets & Writers Programs And Organizations: The Publications Program offers an array of publications of interest to writers. Poets & Writers Magazine profiles noted authors and publishing professionals, features a roster of upcoming grants and awards, as well as recent prize-winners, and reports news of interest to writers. A Directory of American Poets & Fiction Writers currently lists over 7,000 published United States authors. Other reference books provide information on copyright procedures, literary agents, literary presenting and resources for young writers. Poets & Writers ONLINE utilizes new media technology to make Poets & Writer's resources available on the internet. The online services offer immediate access to a wealth of topical information; our website serves as a user-friendly vehicle for the exchange of ideas by providing a central meeting place for writers. Literary Horizons, formerly Information Services, offers additional resources to writers, including information on publishing opportunities, literary agents and funding resources. Poets & Writers also hosts publishing seminars to help writers navigate the literary marketplace. The Writers Exchange nurtures the development of emerging writers by introducing them to literary communities outside their home states. Writers are selected on a competitive basis and awarded an honorarium of $500. Poets & Writers arranges for the writers to give readings and meet publishers, editors and distinguished authors. To date, over 40 writers from 17 states have participated; as a result, many have found agents, had manuscripts accepted for publication, and have been awarded teaching positions. The Writers On Site program offers multi-disciplinary residencies for writers working in partnership with visual and literary arts organizations in California. Utilizing the collections of participating museums and galleries, the program allows writers to explore the intersection of the two art disciplines through readings, workshops and panel discussions. In the program's pilot year (1996-97), Poets & Writers selected the Oakland Museum of California and the Oakland Public Library to co-host three residencies for Bay Area writers. Earlier this year a collaboration between the Los Angeles Country Museum of Art and Beyond Baroque began. A third collaboration scheduled to begin Fall 1998 between The Ink People Center for the Arts and Redwood Coast Writers' Center in Eureka was recently announced. The Literary Network continues to champion the cause of artistic freedom of expression and advocate on behalf of writers for public arts funding. See Readings / Workshops (above). Programs Poets & Writers have supported since November 1997: Workshops and readings led by Kenny Fries sponsored by a coalition of support service organizations for the handicapped and the State University of Buffalo's academic and student service committees. The Austin Street Self Help Senior Center continued their support of creative writing workshops with Rochelle Ratner in Queens. In Chicago, poet Jeanne Towns conducted workshops and read from her work on incest and family abuse at West Englewood Health Partnership, a community center. In Detroit, writer M. L Liebler produced a reading with local Chapter 9 of Vietnam Veterans that headlined with Country Joe McDonald (of The Fish). At Hale Creek Correctional Facility, Bernard Finney taught a series of writing workshops. Poets House, the Asian American Writers Workshop and Asia Society sponsored a reading of contemporary Vietnamese-American writers Christian Langworthy, Le Thi Diem Thuy, Mong Lan, Truong Tran, and Linh Dinh in New York City. At many of these events people who never had the opportunity to communicate with one another are able to share their deepest feelings. In my work as a writer, as the head of a presenting organization and now as director of the Readings / Workshops in New York and Midwest Program, I am convinced that Poets & Writers has a tremendous impact upon the lives of writers, presenters and the audiences they reach.
Phone Numbers:	212-226-3586
Fax	212-226-3963
Email/Website/Webmaster:	admin@pw.org Public Website
Business Hours:	[no data]
Related People:
Contact:	Figman, Elliot