Cave Canem Foundation, Inc.

“Black institutions...have hundreds of years of learned, adaptive strategies for surviving in the face of restrictive practices and under-resourcing.” Lisa Willis In continued observance of #NationalPoetryMonth, Lisa Willis, Executive Director of Cave Canem, was featured on last week's episode of the Literary Hub Podcast to discuss the groundbreaking field study, "Magnitude and Bond: A Field Study on Black Literary Arts Organizations". Listen to the full episode 🎧: https://lnkd.in/egZ9Xq2K

In honor of #NationalPoetryMonth, Cave Canem was profiled by Los Angeles Times on "How Black poets built the ‘centrifugal force’ in modern American literature," featuring our co-founders, Toi Derricotte and Cornelius Eady; board president, Lynne Thompson; and Cave Canem Fellows Morgan Parker, Evie Shockley, Reginald Dwayne Betts, and Nikia Chaney. Read more at https://lnkd.in/e8XjXa4T Art by Aurélia Durand for The Times.

Submissions are now open for the 2026 Cave Canem Prize! The Cave Canem Prize supports the work of Black poets to overcome the obstacle of publishing their first book of poems. Awarded to one poet annually, the winner of the 2026 Cave Canem Prize will receive: • A $10,000 monetary prize • Publication in Fall 2026 by one of our publishing partners • 15 copies of their book • A featured reading with the selected judge Submissions close May 8 at 11:59 PM ET. To submit, visit https://lnkd.in/evPHQ7iv

See you next week in sunny Los Angeles for #AWP25 ☀️ Make sure to visit us at Booth 416 for author signings, books, merch, and more! ⁠ In tandem with the conference, join us for our annual off-site Fellows Reading, Off the Chain. This year's reading is hosted by BillyWayne Coakley ('07), and features readings by 13 Cave Canem Fellows presenting their work in rapid-fire intervals!⁠ ⁠ This event is presented in partnership with the USC Dornsife Department of English. If you are unable to join us in person, there will also be a captioned livestream, with ASL interpretation available for both. To RSVP, visit https://lnkd.in/eNJfzR7w The Vineyard Room at the Davidson Continuing Education Center March 26, 2025, 6:30-9 PM PT 3409 S. Figueroa Street Los Angeles, CA 90089

Join us at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture for "'each other's harvest': an afternoon of poetry, community, and address"! Hosted by Yahdon Israel and featuring readings from Lauren K. Alleyne and Taiwo, Lisa Willis, Co-Principal Investigator and Executive Director of Cave Canem, presents on the release of this historic study to the public, followed by a keynote address from Jermaine F. This event is free and open to the public. To register, visit: https://lnkd.in/ej4cWG9G National Museum of African American History and Culture Sunday, April 6, 1-3 PM ET 1400 Constitution Ave. NW Washington, D.C., 20560

Join Cave Canem Fellows Teri Ellen Cross Davis and Hayes Davis for an intimate get-together ahead of the event, “‘each other’s harvest’: an afternoon of poetry, community, and address” as we celebrate our community and the launch of "Magnitude and Bond". RSVPs are going fast! Register at: https://lnkd.in/ez4w8myu National Museum of African American History and Culture Sunday, April 6, 11:30 AM-1 PM ET 1400 Constitution Ave. NW Washington, D.C., 20560 Photo by Roy Lewis. Margaret Walker, Mari Evans, Sonia Sanchez, June Jordan and other literary greats gathered for the Phillis Wheatley Poetry Festival at Jackson State College centered on innovative Black women writers. 

Our Legacy Conversations feature eminent poets and scholars who have played historic roles in African American poetry. Moderated discussions address historical, aesthetic, political, and personal influences on their craft and thought. This year we are pleased to present Sterling Plumpp, distinguished poet, professor, editor, and critic in conversation with the esteemed Dr. Duriel E. Harris, poet and editor of Obsidian: Literature & Arts in the African Diaspora. This event is free and open to the public. To register, visit: https://lnkd.in/eQdzGMdW Moorland-Spingarn Research Center Howard University Saturday, April 5, 2-4 PM ET 500 Howard Pl NW Washington, D.C., 20001

Our groundbreaking field study, “Magnitude and Bond”, is now LIVE! 👏🏾🙌🏾 “Magnitude and Bond: A Field Study on Black Literary Arts Organizations” focuses on Black literary arts service organizations that provide essential programming, services, and networks of support to the literary community. These organizations have modeled resilience in the face of concentric disparities often in the absence of institutional support and recognition. To produce this research, Cave Canem and Ithaka S+R collaborated closely with a working group, composed of directors from Getting Word, as well as two literary experts in the field, to hone the research questions and instruments that would become this study. To explore the “Magnitude and Bond” webpage, read the full study, flip through our executive summary e-zine, and learn more about exciting slate of upcoming programs in Washington, D.C., visit https://lnkd.in/eMCyiNaM. Support for this study has been generously provided by the Wallace Foundation. Creative direction and brand design for “Magnitude and Bond” by Davon Howard.

Applications for our Regional Workshop in Washington, D.C. with Derrick Weston Brown close TODAY! Apply now: https://lnkd.in/eudaytfy

Announcing our Spring 2025 Season ✨✍🏿 We're excited to unveil our upcoming programming schedule. From panel conversations, prize submissions, readings, and more, Cave Canem can't wait to be in community with you all! “Cave Canem has always been a place where poets come, freed from the distractions of their extrapoetic lives, to be in community and create. Our Spring 2025 season is full with the fruits of that creation!,” said Dante Micheaux, Artistic Director at Cave Canem. All of Cave Canem’s public programs are free and open to all. To learn more about our Spring 2025 Season, visit https://lnkd.in/eQVisadN