NEPC is proud to feature a series of events featuring some of the most acclaimed voices in American poetry.
It’s the sweetest poetic phrase in American democracy: “We the People.” It is confounding, then, that some, in recent days, aim to limit the inclusive vision of what we are and to narrowly redefine American culture.
To explore the diversity of voices and visions in contemporary poetry—and to begin celebrating the 250th anniversary of our great democratic experiment—we are producing WE (too) THE PEOPLE—eight poetry programs across Summer 2025 and 2026.
The New England Poetry Club is collaborating with the Longfellow House–Washington’s Headquarters and their Friends organization to invite some of the most acclaimed names in American poetry to bring their voices to this special program. Taken together, the work of these literary artists will offer a dynamic vision of our country and its people, our shared history, and our imaginative reach.
The readings will be presented, free and open to the public, on the lawn at the Longfellow House on four summer Sundays each year—and, for the first time, will be live-streamed so that audiences from across the country will be able to join us. In addition, the edited recordings of these events will eventually be made available to anyone who wishes to explore the contemporary literary landscape and consider how poetry, as a primary historical resource, can illuminate discussions of civil society and deepen our historical understanding.
Study guides will be prepared so that schools across the country can use these materials in the classroom.
Get Involved
Become a NEPC Member now to learn about all We (too) The People events and opportunities!
Support The Movement: Get a T-Shirt!
Celebrate the diverse voices of contemporary poetry, and support the work of the New England Poetry Club’s WE (too) THE PEOPLE reading series. This tee isn’t just apparel—it’s a conversation starter, perfect for literary events, creative workshops, or everyday wear. It declares: I stand with diverse voices. I celebrate poetry. I believe WE (too) speak for THE PEOPLE.
Upcoming Events
Stay tuned for new event announcements!
Past Events
August 10th — MARTHA COLLINS, winner of the 2025 Golden Rose Award
The 2025 Golden Rose recipient, MARTHA COLLINS, has published eleven books of poetry, most recently Casualty Reports (Pittsburgh, 2022) and Because What Else Could I Do (Pittsburgh, 2019); the latter won the Poetry Society of America’s William Carlos Williams Award. Other publications include three volumes of poetry that focus on race (Blue Front, White Papers, and Admit One: An American Scrapbook); five co-translated volumes of Vietnamese poetry, including Dreaming the Mountain by Tuệ Sỹ (with Nguyen Ba Chung; Milkweed, 2023), a PEN America award finalist; and several co-edited anthologies, including Into English: Poems, Translations, Commentaries (with Kevin Prufer; Graywolf, 2017). Collins founded the UMass Boston creative writing program and, for ten years, served as Pauline Delaney Professor of Creative Writing at Oberlin College, where she was an editor of FIELD magazine and the Oberlin College Press. Two books are forthcoming: Word Work: Essays, Poems, Reflections from Tiger Bark in 2025 and Like Her Body the World: Selected Early Poems from Unbound Edition in 2027. Her website is marthacollinspoet.com.
August 3rd — RICHARD BLANCO
Selected by President Obama as the fifth Presidential Inaugural Poet in U.S. history, RICHARD BLANCO is one of the youngest, the first Latinx, immigrant, and gay person to be chosen. In 2023, Blanco was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Biden. Other honors include the Agnes Starrett Poetry Prize, the PEN American Beyond Margins Award, and the Patterson Prize.
July 6th — ROBERT PINSKY
A three-term United States Poet Laureate, ROBERT PINSKY is an author and editor of thirty collections of poetry, essays, and memoirs. Among his many efforts to share the transformative power of poetry and language, he created The Favorite Poem Project, a truly democratic reflection of the way poetry is ingrained in the lives of American communities. Among his numerous awards are the Korean Manhae Award and the Italian Premio Capri.
July 20th — STEPHANIE BURT and DIANNELY ANTIGUA
STEPHANIE BURT is an influential trans poet and critic, the author/editor of numerous poetry collections and anthologies, and the Donald P. and Katherine B. Loker Professor of English at Harvard University. Donald Revell wrote “Burt has found a courage I’d never imagined until I read these poems.” The New York Times called Burt “one of the most influential poetry critics of her generation.”
A rising literary star, DIANNELY ANTIGUA is a Dominican American poet and educator—the author of the collections Ugly Music (YesYes Books, 2019), which won the 2020 Whiting Award, and Good Monster (Copper Canyon Press, 2024). She was the 13th Poet Laureate of Portsmouth, NH, and currently teaches at the University of New Hampshire as the Nossrat Yassini Poet in Residence.
Photo Gallery
Ways you can help
There are several ways you and your organization can participate in and support this undertaking:
- Let your organization’s membership know about this reading series so they can be part of the virtual audience
- Share the WE (too) THE PEOPLE flyer on your Facebook and social media pages
- Plan your own WE (too) readings and performances so that communities across America will be part of a broad-based poetry fanfare, celebrating what truly matters in our cultural life.
- Consider joining and contributing to NEPC; learn about our yearly contests, book prizes, and reading series.
As Whitman envisioned, the vast we that is at the heart of the American experiment depends on our active participation. We hope you’ll join us to keep that spirit alive and flourishing.
Inquiries
For further information and interviews, contact Steven Ratiner, President of NEPC: president@nepoetryclub.org