Meet the Poets: the Writers Council and Beyond

Summary: Over time, NWP has been fortunate to learn from a wide range of writers. Meet some of the poets and poet/teachers who shared their work and thinking with the network.

Resources in this Collection

Patricia Smith: Exploring Life Through the Poetry of Personas

Be inspired by poet Patricia Smith’s address at NWP’s Urban Sites Network conference. Check it out…

Why I Write: Jane Hirshfield Writes about Life's Profound Mystery

Read Jane’s Hirshfield’s statement about why she writes and watch her TEDed explanation of metaphor. Check it out…

Why I Write: To Awaken the Spirit in the Downtrodden

Poets and youth workers Al Mills and Nnamdi Chukwuocha answer the call to describe #WhyIWrite with a poem. The answer is inseparable from their community and the promise of the youth they work with. Check it out…

Billy Collins: A ‘Reader’s Poet’ Reads at NWP’s Annual Meeting

Enjoy Billy Collins’ keynote at the NWP Annual Conference. Check it out…

Poet Laureate Kay Ryan: Poet as Teacher, Teacher as Poet

Listen to two-time Poet Laureate Kay Ryan as she addresses Poets and Writers in San Francisco. Check it out…

Everybody’s Vaguely Familiar: Jack Powers, Poetry & A Career of Teaching Writing

Listen to poet and teacher Jack Powers on the occasion of his volume of poetry, Everybody’s Vaguely Familiar. Check it out…

Poet, Author, Educator: A Visit with Zev (Dan) Levinson

Zev (Dan) Levinson visits with us to discuss his poetry, outreach, and connection to education through the Redwood Writing Project and California Poets in the Schools. Check it out…

Poets of the NWP Writers Council: George Ella Lyon, Jimmy Santiago Baca, Shirley McPhillips, and Cyrus Armajani

Enjoy a four part series from NWP Radio, interviewing poets of the NWP Writers Council about their poetry, their writing, their process, and more. Check it out…

For many years, the National Writing Project has benefited from the performances and insights of poets, both through NWP’s Writers Council and though collaborations exploring teaching and poetry at NWP events or on NWP Radio. This collection links to recordings and audio episodes that capture some of those connections for all of us to enjoy.

NWP sites and leaders can help build this collection by contributing your own recordings of keynotes, workshops, and interviews with poets you work with. And you can always invite the writers you work with to join the Writers Council and ‘stand up for writing.’