Partner Stage — Third Floor, Harold Washington Library Center
Pauli Murray (1910-1985) was a poet, a lawyer, a priest, a freight hopper, Eleanor Roosevelt’s friend, arrested for refusing to comply with bus segregation laws, a closeted member of the LBGTQ+ community, a professor, and so much more. Their work has influenced Supreme Court decisions, the Civil Rights movement, and countless individual people. Get to know the life and work of Murray and see how they used poetry alongside other forms of writing to advocate for change.
Explore our temporary exhibit, available both online or in-person, to see how poetry has played a role in the lives of some of the featured writers as they navigate themes of home, community, language, and more. Chicago poet José Olivarez tells how he came to poetry first through rap music, then found the power of telling his own story. Poet Jenny Xie shares how being made to feel like an outsider impacted her writing for the better. Plus many more stories and truths from writers across genres!
In the online adaptation of our physical exhibit American Voices, you can delve into more than 400 years of American writing with plenty of poets featured throughout. Learn more about barrier-breakers like Phillis Wheatley, who at the age of 20 became the first published African-American author in 1773 for her poetry. Or brush up on the classics like Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, William Carlos Williams, and more. Understand how poets and poetry helped define themes like Identity, Edge, and Promise for an entire nation.
We’ve had the honor of hosting four former U.S. Poet Laureates—Joy Harjo, Natasha Trethewey, Juan Felipe Herrera, and Billy Collins—for author programs and you can listen to these fascinating conversations on the AWM Author Talks podcast. Harjo provided the keynote address at the American Writers Festival in May 2022.
Joy Harjo
Poet Warrior
Natasha Trethewey
Memorial Drive
Juan Felipe Herrera
Every Day We Get More Illegal
Billy Collins
Whale Day
Watch poet Mahogany L. Browne read her poem “In the Next” as part of our virtual Little Squirrels Storytime series.
Over on our YouTube channel we’ve put together a National Poetry Month playlist for your viewing pleasure.
Check out and subscribe to our podcasts if you are interested in hearing current poets discuss their work and the poets of the past who have inspired them.
Hit the American Writers Museum blog for even more National Poetry Month content.
