RCAH Center for Poetry, Lansing Poetry Club making the bid for Michigan Poet Laureate

By Kelsey Block “Poetry is a life-cherishing force. For poems are not words, after all, but fires for the cold, ropes let down to the lost, something as necessary as bread in the pockets of the hungry.” –Mary Oliver On Thursday, March 31, the Historical Society of Greater Lansing hosted “Michigan, My Michigan,” a celebration

Poem of the Week: Broom, by Jim Harrison

This week’s poem of the week is in memory of Michigan’s own Jim Harrison, who died this past weekend at the age of 78. Broom To remember you’re alive visit the cemetery of your father at noon after you’ve made love and are still wrapped in a mammalian odor that you are forced to cherish. Under

Poem of the Week: “Resurrection Yoga” by Dennis Hinrichsen

In celebration of an upcoming visit by Lansing poet Dennis Hinrichsen, we present his poem “Resurrection Yoga” from Kurosawa’s Dog (Oberlin Press, 2009). Dennis will visit the RCAH Center for Poetry on April 1, and at his reading, the Center for Poetry will release handmade broadside sheets with the poem “Resurrection Yoga” printed in-house on the

Poem of the Week: “Belle Isle, 1949” by Philip Levine

Former U.S. Poet Laureate and Pulitzer Prize winner Philip Levine recently passed away. Born and raised in Detroit, much of his work centers around the reality of blue-collar work and workers, and he was dedicated to “find[ing] a voice for the voiceless.” Today, we celebrate this exemplary Michigan poet and present “Belle Isle, 1949” as our

Holiday Gifts for Poetry Lovers

Looking for gift ideas this holiday season? Read on for ideas on what to give the poetry lover or bibliophile in your life! For the Shape Poem Enthusiast: Leaves of Grass Poster Litographs partners with artists to create designs that incorporate the text from classic novels, plays, and poems into stunning graphics. They also partner

High School Poetry Competition Winners

Congratulations to the winners of our 5th Annual Richard Benvenuto High School Poetry Competition! They visited the Center for Poetry last night to read their winning poems. From left: Jenna Wang, 2nd place (International Academy Central); Katie Peterson, 3rd place (Brighton High School); and Jessi Bowser, 1st place (West Bloomfield High School).

The Winners of Our 5th Annual High School Poetry Competition

Congratulations to Jessi Bowser (1st Place), Jenna Wang (2nd Place), and Katie Peterson (3rd Place) for winning our 2013 High School Poetry Competition! We had over 250 poems submitted from high schoolers across Michigan, and the winners will read their selections on November 13 at 7 pm in the RCAH Theater in conjunction with a