Petitioning the Poetry Foundation

A petition making the rounds urges the Poetry Foundation to allocate five million dollars to support poets, editors, "literary workers," independent bookstores, small presses and other persons and institutions that are suffering because of the economic slump caused by the Corona virus. I have signed the petition:

https://www.change.org/p/writers-ask-the-poetry-foundation-to-support-poets-and-their-allies

Trade publishers and university presses with a commitment to poetry need help. More than a few editors have lost their jobs or been asked to accept cuts in pay. The whole industry is bleeding badly at the moment and would benefit from grants and awards, call them what you will, from the Poetry Foundation.

How did the petition's drafters arrives at the figure of five million dollars? The Poetry Foundation is said to manage "about $245,000,000 in total assets according to their most recent (2018) tax filings, most of which appears to be investment capital." Thus, the request is for slightly more than 2% the Foundation's net capital.

The negative consequences of the Corona crisis will continue, in our line of work, to hurt us for years to come. This is a chance for the Poetry Foundation to demonstrate vision and imagination and make literary history, 

-- DL

Comments

[Kent Johnson]

Thank you for sharing this, David.

Dispatches posted its own statement this morning:

https://www.dispatchespoetrywars.com/dispatches-news/urgent-demand-that-the-poetry-foundation-step-up-in-the-covid-19-crisis-and-immediately-put-its-capital-where-its-poetic-mouth-is/

There should be mass signing of this petition. May it be a collective poetic act.

Kent

[Kent Johnson]

Now at 800 signatories (4/17).