Watch Gather in Poems
Poems and Voices from Gather in Poems
Watch Gather in Poems, a virtual reading that brought together distinguished poets who shared some of their favorite poems, spanning generations, languages, and poetic traditions. Presented by the Academy of American Poets on December 14, 2023, this program created a conversation among contemporary writers, translators, and influential figures from the history of poetry.
Watch Gather in Poems to unlock a rich spectrum of human voices—journeying through memory, identity, history, and migration into raw imagination and the deep-seated search for connection.
Poems Featured in the Gather in Poems Video
Ricardo Maldonado
“Behind the Word is Silence” by Giannina Braschi
Translated by Tess O’Dwyer
Denice Frohman
“Relax” by Ellen Bass
Kwame Dawes
“Traces” by Matthew Shenoda
Dorianne Laux
“Counting, This New Year’s Morning, What Powers Yet Remain To Me” by Jane Hirshfield
Oliver de la Paz
“Whom You Love” by Joseph O. Legaspi
Elizabeth Acevedo
“My Mama moved among the days,” “wishes for sons,” “cutting greens,” and “blessing the boats” by Lucille Clifton
Joy Harjo
“Deer’s Breath of Every Color” by Max Early
Naomi Shihab Nye
“Zero” by Dorothea Tanning
Kimiko Hahn
“Silverswords” by Juliet S. Kono
Afaa Michael Weaver
“A March in the Ranks Hard-Prest, and the Road Unknown” by Walt Whitman
Yasmine Seale
“The Song in the Dream,” “Inside,” and “This Hour” by Saskia Hamilton
John Keene
“The Healing Improvisation of Hair” by Jay Wright
Yvette Siegert
“Distant Footsteps” by César Vallejo, translated by Yvette Siegert
“On Living” by Nâzim Hikmet, translated by Mutlu Konuk Blasing and Randy Blasing
Through these selections, this Gather in Poems program brings together voices from different eras, cultures, and literary traditions, demonstrating poetry’s ability to cross boundaries of language, place, and experience.
Who is the producer of Gather in Poems?
The Academy of American Poets
Founded in 1934 in New York City, the Academy of American Poets is the nation’s leading champion of American poets and poetry, with members in all fifty states. Its mission is to support American poets at all stages of their careers and to foster the appreciation of contemporary poetry. Each year, the organization connects millions of readers to poets’ work through its programs and publications, including Poets.org, Poem-a-Day, National Poetry Month (founded by the Academy in 1996), and educational resources for readers, teachers, and students. The Academy also supports poets through its prizes and fellowships and coordinates initiatives that strengthen the poetry community across the United States.