Guggenheim Museum: Poetry Is Not A Luxury

Poetry Is Not a Luxury

Grounded in the sentiment of Audre Lorde’s 1977 essay “Poetry Is Not a Luxury,” this two-day gathering brings contemporary artists and poets together with museum audiences to explore poetry’s ability to invoke sensuality, caesura, and care. Designed by 2023 Poet-in-Residence Ama Codjoe, this convening of discussion and exchange will illuminate poetry’s role in enabling humans to imagine, dream, and craft the kind of language that precipitates political action, communal nurturing, and social change.

November 10

Poetry Is Not a Luxury Day 1: Poetic Freedom

5-6:30pm ET (Virtual)

Link to event page

This first day of the Poetry Is Not a Luxury program, entitled Poetic Freedom, will feature a live taping of the Poetry Foundation’s VS podcast with co-hosts Ajanaé Dawkins and Brittany Rogers and guests Arisa White and LaTasha N. Nevada Diggs. Attendees in this participatory event will have the chance to reflect on notions of care, freedom, and intimacy through group conversation, interactive games, and engaged listening.

In-person tickets for this program are sold out, but the event will be livestreamed on the Poetry Foundation’s website. This program will include ASL interpretation and auto-captioning.

November 11

Poetry Is Not a Luxury Day 2: Poetic License 

1-5pm ET (In-Person)

Link to RSVP

In this second day of the Poetry Is Not a Luxury program, entitled Poetic License, poets and artists will share new work, work in-progress, and artistic reflections that express Lorde’s conviction that “poetry is not a luxury.” Featuring panel discussions, poetry readings, and performances, the day will be interspersed with moments of grounding and personal reflection alongside pauses for inter-audience dialogue and connection. This program is free with RSVP and will include ASL interpretation.