Founded in 2008, The Poetry Society of New York brings poetry into the 21st Century. 

OUR MISSION

The Poetry Society of New York is a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to promoting poetry within our culture. We envision a world where poetry is not just celebrated, but vital and accessible to all: breaking down barriers, inspiring joy, and uplifting diverse voices. Rooted in the belief that poetry belongs to us all, our mission is to create experiences of poetry where people from all walks of life can explore, express, play, and find a sense of belonging. By prioritizing accessibility, experimentation, collaboration, and undeniable fun, we foster innovation and community in the often stale and isolating literary sphere. Each of our programs offers an invitation into a vibrant poetry world specifically designed to stimulate discovery, wonder, and life-long friendships between artists.

WHY POETRY?

At PSNY, we believe that poetry makes us human. In a world that often feels fragmented, poetry offers a way to reconnect: to ourselves, to each other, and to the larger human experience. In times of division, it reminds us of our shared humanity and offers a space for healing. It sparks empathy, imagination, and reflection in a culture starved for meaningful connection. Like meditation, poetry promotes mindfulness, lowering our stress and offering us tools for staying present in an increasingly distracting world. In a society designed around work and productivity, poetry gives us a respite where we can explore the depths of our imaginations and our most profound desires. Poetry, in all its forms, allows us to express the inexpressible. It has the power to heal, inspire, and uplift. Yet, for all its richness, poetry is often considered niche or inaccessible. We’re here to breathe new life into its timeless forms and to make it accessible to all.

OUR HISTORY

The Poetry Society of New York first emerged under the guise of The Poetry Brothel at The Living Theater in 2008. The Poetry Brothel was conceived as a performance art event aimed at fostering intimacy, urgency and exaltation within the New York poetry community, and at expanding that community to include a more diverse population of artists. At that time, New York City, the place perceived by thousands of young writers to be the epicenter of the contemporary poetry world, felt boring. Allen Ginsberg, Frank O’Hara and Edna St. Vincent Millay had quit running amok decades earlier, and a clear vitalizing alternative was required. The Poetry Brothel provided one cure: a pastiche of back-alley history and literary revelry, this event series remedied the monotony of the slam poetry reading’s excessive competition, and charmed patrons of the one-note, one-format academic poetry readings out of their fold-up chairs into back rooms for private readings.

But it wasn’t enough. The Poetry Brothel bridged social boundaries between individuals, but soon, we felt the need to cross literal borders. In 2009, we oversaw the creation of The Poetry Brothel’s first international chapter, Prostibulo Poetico, founded by Kiely Sweatt in Barcelona. In 2010, The Poetry Brothel and Prostibulo Poetico began a translation project in the hopes of opening the lines of communication between New York poets and poets living abroad, but in order to get funding for such a project, it was time to get legal and form a business entity. When the state of New York rejected the business name “The Poetry Brothel,” citing it as “lewd and illegal,” we requested “The Poetry Society of New York ” and much to our surprise, we got it! 

After forming The Poetry Society of New York in 2010, we expanded The Poetry Brothel into over 25 cities across the globe and created The New York City Poetry Festival (founded 2011) and The Typewriter Project (founded 2014). Since getting our 501(c)3 status in 2015, we have watched our little society take on a life of its own with with countless other programs, including Milk Press (founded 2018), Virtual Workshops (founded 2020), Poetry Camp (founded 2020), Free Verse (founded 2023), Having a Coke With You (founded 2023), Wine Poetic (founded 2023), The Poetry Holiday Market (founded 2024), and countless other programs. Over the years, The Poetry Society of New York has brought poetry into the lives of millions across the globe.

PROGRAMMING FRAMEWORK

We strive to produce innovative, collaborative, accessible, inclusive, and anti-biased programming that is both mission and community-centered. It is of the utmost importance to us that our events are anti-racist, anti-classist, anti-sexist, anti-ageist, anti-ableist, and community-serving, as well as physically, culturally, and emotionally accessible. For questions, comments, or concerns regarding our programming, please email our Programs Director, Tova Greene, at tova@poetrysocietyny.org.