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?

Joined November 2020
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.
This Post is from an account that no longer exists. Learn more
5
2
13
#WhosePoemsOurPoems retweeted
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
"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 brooklynrail.org/2020/11/poe…
1
7
#WhosePoemsOurPoems retweeted
"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 brooklynrail.org/2020/11/poe…
#WhosePoemsOurPoems retweeted
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
Have you seen or experienced worker abuse and mistreatment in publishing, bookselling, literary nonprofits, or adjacent industries? Would you like to issue a public message, seek support, or offer solidarity, but fear retaliation? Send a secure message at bit.ly/LitWorkers
4
9
#WhosePoemsOurPoems retweeted
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.
This Post is from an account that no longer exists. Learn more
5
2
13
#WhosePoemsOurPoems retweeted
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)
1
9
1
20
#WhosePoemsOurPoems retweeted
Thanks @wystandoll and @TheBrooklynRail Poets please consider coming out thisSaturday, live or virtually, to protest for @phstaff #WhosePoemsOurPoems – at New York, USA
1
2
#WhosePoemsOurPoems retweeted
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.
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.
2
3
This is the take:
Replying to @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.
3
#WhosePoemsOurPoems retweeted
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. bit.ly/36RwI01
1
3
Congratulations to @VersoBooksGuild!
Proud to announce we’ve won voluntary recognition from @VersoBooks. Excited to join our colleagues in organizing for #BookWorkerPower! 💫
1
4
#WhosePoemsOurPoems retweeted
"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."
3
4
#WhosePoemsOurPoems retweeted
"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 brooklynrail.org/2020/11/poe…
1
2
1
12
#WhosePoemsOurPoems retweeted
Looking forward to reading this.... Here's E.J. and @JimBehrle protesting outside Poets House, with some documentary filmmakers.
1
2
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
"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 brooklynrail.org/2020/11/poe…
1
7
"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 brooklynrail.org/2020/11/poe…