Poets House
{{Short description|Library in New York City}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = Poets House
| formation = {{Start date and age|1985}}
| image = File:Poets House 10 River Terrace jeh.jpg
| image_size = 225px
| caption = Entrance (2011)
| type = Poetry library
| status = Public
| location = New York City
| website = {{URL|http://www.poetshouse.org}}
}}
File:Poets House 10 River Terrace Battery Park City.jpg
Poets House is a national literary center and poetry library based in New York City, United States. It contains more than 80,000 volumes of poetry, and is free and open to the public. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, in November 2020, operations were temporarily suspended.
History
Poets House was founded in 1985 by the late Stanley Kunitz, two-time poet laureate of the United States, and arts administrator Elizabeth Kray.{{citation needed|date=February 2021}} With holdings of more than 80,000 volumes,{{Cite news |last=Glassman |first=Carl |date=2024-01-29 |title=Bringing Back the 'Inner Spirit': BPC's Poets House Reemerges from Calamity | Tribeca Trib Online |url=https://www.tribecatrib.com/content/bringing-back-inner-spirit-bpcs-poets-house-reemerges-calamity |access-date=2024-07-03}} Poets House contains virtually all poetry books published in the U.S. since 1990, as well as many that are out of print and date to the early 20th Century.{{cn|date=July 2024}} It also contains literary journals and chapbooks (small books of poetry), and many audiotapes, videotapes, CDs, and DVDs of poetry readings from the mid-twentieth century through today. Visitors to Poets House can hear the voices of Walt Whitman, E. E. Cummings, William Carlos Williams, Sylvia Plath and hundreds of other poets.{{citation needed|date=February 2021}}
In 2005, it was among 406 New York City arts and social service institutions to receive part of a $20-million grant from the Carnegie Corporation, which was made possible through a donation by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg.{{cite news|last=Roberts|first=Sam|title=City Groups Get Bloomberg Gift of $20 Million|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/06/nyregion/06donate.html?ex=1278302400&en=93a1beabd4ede5b8&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss|accessdate=September 19, 2012|newspaper=The New York Times|date=July 6, 2005}}
In 1996, the literary newspaper Poetry Flash called Poets House "The House That Holds A Country," a reference to its dedication to being a caretaker of the nation's poetic heritage.{{citation needed|date=February 2021}}
In November 2020, Poets House announced it was suspending operations as a result of the economic impact of COVID-19.{{cite news |title=Beloved NYC Arts Facility Poets House Suspends Operations |url=https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/beloved-nyc-arts-facility-poets-house-suspends-operations/2728580/ |access-date=25 March 2021 |work=NBC New York |date=16 November 2020}} In 2021, the building was damaged by a flood, although the library was intact.{{Cite news |last=Glassman |first=Carl |date=2022-01-14 |title=Poets House After Devastating Flood. 'We're Working on Bringing It Back.' |work=Tribeca Tribune |url=http://www.tribecatrib.com/content/poets-house-after-devastating-flood-were-working-bringing-it-back |access-date=2022-01-27}} It reopened in January 2024.{{Cite web |url=https://poetshouse.org/event/poets-house-reopening-celebration/ |title=Poets House Reopening Celebration |date=2024-01-27 |accessdate=July 3, 2024|website=Poets House}}
Building
In 2009, Poets House moved from its longstanding location in SoHo to an eco-friendly "green" building at Ten River Terrace in Lower Manhattan's Battery Park City. The move was facilitated via long-term lease awarded by the Battery Park City Authority.{{cite news |last=Community News|title=Tribeca Citizen {{!}} Poets House will close indefinitely |url=https://tribecacitizen.com/2020/12/04/poets-house-will-close-indefinitely/ |access-date=25 March 2021 |work=Tribeca Citizen |date=4 December 2020}}
The space's interiors were designed by architect Louise Braverman, and is on two floors covering {{convert|11000|sqft|m2}} that opens onto an extension of Teardrop Park.{{cite news|last=Pogrebin|first=Robin|title=Transparent New Home for Poetry|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/25/books/25poetry.html?_r=0|accessdate=September 19, 2012|newspaper=The New York Times|date=September 24, 2009}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.poetshouse.org}}
- [http://poets.kohalibrary.com/cgi-bin/koha/opac-main.pl Poets House catalogue]
{{Authority control}}
Category:Libraries in Manhattan