News
ZOEGLOSSIA RECEIVES POETRY FUND GRANT FOR SECOND YEAR IN A ROW
July 21, 2023
For the second year in a row, Zoeglossia was awarded a Poetry Fund grant from the Academy of American Poets in alliance with Amazon Literary Partners to support programming for poets with disabilities. The $7500 award will help provide funding for Zoeglossia’s annual Conference/Retreat and Poem of the Week (POTW) series.
Zoeglossia Names 2023 Cohort of Fellows
April 16, 2023
Sixteen disabled poets have been selected for the 2023 class of Zoeglossia Fellows. The five-year fellowship provides an open and supportive community for artistic and professional development through year-round online programming and an annual Retreat.
“This year, because we received so many applications—178 in total—, we turned to outside readers and judges to help us make the selections,” said Sheila Black, Zoeglossia co-founder and interim executive director. "A huge thanks to our selection committee, including first-round readers Mary Mussman and Noor Al-Samarrai and final selection committee members Allison Adele Hedge Coke, Dan Vera, and Zoeglossia’s Saleem Hue Penny. This was Zoeglossia's most competitive pool to date."
Open Letter to AWP on Decision to Host a “Mask Optional” 2023 Conference & Book Fair
Feb. 10, 2023
As a literary arts organization dedicated to centering and supporting poets with disabilities, Zoeglossia strongly supports the “Request AWP to Require Masks” Petition (by Alyssa Harad via change.org). The petition garnered 400 word-of-mouth signatures in its first 24 hours, illustrating that public health and safety are priorities for Conference & Bookfair attendees.
Zoeglossia Awarded $25K Grant for Digital Outreach
A screen image of Zoeglossia members during a Zoom meeting.
Jan. 20. 2023
The Academy of American Poets announced today that Zoeglossia is one of fifty-three independent non-profit literary organizations that present poetry or serve poets that will receive a two-year capacity-building grant from the Academy of America Poets in 2023 and 2024. Zoeglossia received a $25,000 grant ($12,500 each year) to support its social media outreach.
Call for 2023 Zoeglossia Fellows
We are pleased to announce our Call for 2023 Zoeglossia Fellows.
Zoeglossia Receives 2022 Poetry Fund Grant to Help Support Programming
Aug. 21, 2022
Zoeglossia was recently awarded a grant from the Academy of American Poets in alliance with Amazon Literary Partners to support programming for poets with disabilities. The $7500 award will help provide funding for Zoeglossia’s annual Conference/Retreat and Poem of the Week series.
NMSU Zoeglossia conference welcomes disabled poets
May 13, 2022
Twenty-one disabled, poets selected for a five-year fellowship, are spending five days at the 2022 Zoeglossia Conference in creative exchange with mentor poets and writers who also identify as disabled. Thirteen are newly named 2022 fellows and eight are returning fellows.
Zoeglossia fellows are attending the conference/annual retreat at no cost as part of the program that provides them with various kinds of support and professional development.
Zoeglossia Shines at AWP22
April 7, 2022
Zoeglossia staff and fellows made their debut appearance at the Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP) annual conference in Philadelphia, March 23-27, 2022.
Zoeglossia names fellows for 2021 NMSU Conference
Dec. 21, 2020
Zoeglossia has selected 13 disabled poets as fellows for their 2021 conference. The fellowship provides poets with the opportunity to attend an annual retreat/conference and work with established writers who are also disabled. This year the event, hosted by New Mexico State University, will be held entirely online May 20-23 due to restrictions required by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Zoeglossia Manuscript Mentoring: Space-making and Collaboration
Nov. 20, 2020
Zoeglossia fellow Stephanie Heit believes it’s a gift to have another poet read her manuscript Psych Murders, a poetic hybrid memoir about her bipolar experiences with suicidal ideation and electric shock treatments.
Building Community Through Poetry with Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson - Oct. 18, 2020
Poet Laureate of San Antonio (2020-2023), Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson, will perform and present on poetry as a tool for engaging, inspiring, and uplifting communities at 7 p.m. (EST) on Wednesday, November 11, 2020.
Zoeglossia to Expand Thanks to Mellon Foundation
Oct. 13, 2020
An organization for poets with disabilities will have the opportunity to create more programming thanks to a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Zoeglossia recently announced the $25,000 award for expansion at their September board meeting.
Zoeglossia Poets to Read and Host Live Q&A at 2020 Dodge Festival
Sept. 30, 2020
Four poets – Allison Adelle Hedge Coke, Travis Chi Wing Lau, Ellen McGrath Smith, and Lateef McLeod – will represent Zoeglossia at the 2020 Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival set to begin on October 22, 2020.
Call for applications
June 5, 2020
Zoeglossia, whose mission is to build community for poets with disabilities, is reopening applications for its 2020 group of fellows.
We are not your metaphor
Eleven poets with disabilities prove themselves to be far more than metaphors. This anthology leads off with with excerpts from Kathi Wolf and feature poets including Viktoria Valenzuela, Gaia Celeste Thomas, and Elizabeth Theriot, among many others.
MEET THE zoeglossia 2019 FELLOWS
Congratulations to our fellows!