#WhosePoemsOurPoems

On November 16, 2020, Poets House announced its imminent closure due to financial strain, along with the layoff of the entire supporting staff. What happened?

[#WhosePoemsOurPoems @phstaff]

Join @JimBehrle on Saturday, December 12 at noon EST for a march on Poets House's Poetry Path in Battery Park City! Meet at 10 River Terrace for live readings and speeches—or support online by posting protest poems! Tag @phstaff and use the hashtag #WhosePoemsOurPoems.

[#WhosePoemsOurPoems @phstaff]

Thanks @EJMCADAMS, @wystandoll, and @TheBrooklynRail for sharing this powerful piece holding Poets House accountable to co-founder Stanley Kunitz's assertion that “the American myth belongs to politics and power, not to poetry.” #WhosePoemsOurPoems

[#WhosePoemsOurPoems @phstaff]

"In this moment, this time of crisis, when the wealthy are growing wealthier, while the economy tanks, I, as a poet in 2020, recognize the tyrants of America are the careless rich. Courage insists on poets bringing out our poems to topple them." @EJMCADAMS https://t.co/kLcsK0H8a3

[#WhosePoemsOurPoems @phstaff]

It's important that we keep these conversations going as a community. We are only as humane as we expect the organizations we accept money from to be. #WhosePoemsOurPoems

[#WhosePoemsOurPoems @phstaff]

Join @JimBehrle on Saturday, December 12 at noon EST for a march on Poets House's Poetry Path in Battery Park City! Meet at 10 River Terrace for live readings and speeches—or support online by posting protest poems! Tag @phstaff and use the hashtag #WhosePoemsOurPoems.

[damaged book worker @damagedbookwrkr]

Small Press Distribution wants the public to believe that they immediately “remedied” their staff-wide wage theft & illegal pay structure with an “internal audit” in January.

This is false. (1/4)

[Molly B. Gross @Mollybgross]

“We can start by siding with the staff and bringing the fight to the front door of Poets House, to make it Poets’ House. The next protest is December 12th at noon, in front of Poets House.” -@EJMCADAMS @TheBrooklynRail @phstaff #WhosePoemsOurPoems

https://t.co/fVFxSlIxE1

[E. J. McAdams @EJMCADAMS]

Thanks @wystandoll and @TheBrooklynRail Poets please consider coming out thisSaturday, live or virtually, to protest for @phstaff #WhosePoemsOurPoems

[NMASS Workers Center @NMASSwc]

In another part of our district... an entire staff fired. Punished for trying to organize a healthier work place where workers have a say and where workers have control. Another example of the failure of top-down “solutions”. Listen to workers ... they know what is best.

[#WhosePoemsOurPoems @phstaff]

This is the take:

[Nikki Wallschlaeger @nikkimwalls]

What happens when this log is removed? It speaks volumes that someone with a career like hers, in a Nobel Prize speech, is saying this. She's giving herself away here. It's a political move meant to drum up animosity among white poets towards POC poets.

[Robert Sullivan @RESullivanJr]

"Poets House without poets / is a hole in the ground," writes @EJMCADAMS. And, well, you know what a hole in the ground is. . . . re: Musings on the Apostrophe

https://t.co/39PDr9SabY

[The Authors Guild @AuthorsGuild]

More than 200 poets, translators, artists, editors, and scholars have signed an open letter to the NYC nonprofit, Poets House, which suspended operations and fired its staff last month. https://t.co/34LulH4dZh

[E. J. McAdams @EJMCADAMS]

I wrote this piece about why I went out to protest @poetshouse that fired the @phstaff trying to unionize. Thanks to @wystandoll, it is up at The Brooklyn Rail. Consider coming out on Saturday to support the staff. #WhosePoemsOurPoems https://t.co/j2YW4CWQyY

[#WhosePoemsOurPoems @phstaff]

Congratulations to @VersoBooksGuild!

[Verso Books Guild US @VersoBooksGuild]

Proud to announce we’ve won voluntary recognition from @VersoBooks. Excited to join our colleagues in organizing for #BookWorkerPower! 💫

[The Brooklyn Rail @TheBrooklynRail]

"Every house will be owned by the careless rich
if our Poets House is owned by the careless rich...

Poets House is now a house with no foundation.
Poets House is now a house with no roof.

Poets House is now a house with no poets
so no better than a hole in the ground."

[The Brooklyn Rail @TheBrooklynRail]

"For almost 30 years, as a dedicated member and supporter of the organization, I’ve allowed myself to entertain the idea that this is indeed a house by and for poets."

EJ McAdams on the firing of Poets House staff

https://t.co/nxOAUGtQqb

[Maria Lisella @MariaLisella]

A Library Alone Is Not a Poets House – The Brooklyn Rail ⁦@POETSorg⁩ ⁦@poetshouse⁩ ⁦@poetswritersinc⁩ #whosepoemourpoems ⁦@phstaff⁩ #support #poets #writers #colleagues #union #busting? #management ? Who’s talking 2 ⁦@phstaff⁩ https://t.co/QZn33WO04d

[Christina Davis @Indavisible]

@wystandoll Looking forward to reading this....

Here's E.J. and @JimBehrle protesting outside Poets House, with some documentary filmmakers.

[#WhosePoemsOurPoems @phstaff]

Thanks @EJMCADAMS, @wystandoll, and @TheBrooklynRail for sharing this powerful piece holding Poets House accountable to co-founder Stanley Kunitz's assertion that “the American myth belongs to politics and power, not to poetry.” #WhosePoemsOurPoems

[#WhosePoemsOurPoems @phstaff]

"In this moment, this time of crisis, when the wealthy are growing wealthier, while the economy tanks, I, as a poet in 2020, recognize the tyrants of America are the careless rich. Courage insists on poets bringing out our poems to topple them." @EJMCADAMS https://t.co/kLcsK0H8a3

[#WhosePoemsOurPoems @phstaff]

"In this moment, this time of crisis, when the wealthy are growing wealthier, while the economy tanks, I, as a poet in 2020, recognize the tyrants of America are the careless rich. Courage insists on poets bringing out our poems to topple them." @EJMCADAMS https://t.co/kLcsK0H8a3