Samuel C Williams Library

Founded in 1985 by poet Stanley Kunitz and arts administrator Elizabeth Kray, Poets House has created a home for all who read and write poetry. From 1990 to 2007 that home was located in an intimate loft at 72 Spring Street in Soho. As rent increases began to make Soho an impractical location, Poets House was fortunate to be designated by the Battery Park City Authority as a rent-free tenant in a new building on the banks of the Hudson River. In the summer of 2009 Poets House moved to its permanent home at 10 River Terrace in Battery Park City and opened to the public on September 25, 2009. Throughout its transformations, the heart of Poets House has remained its poetry collection. With over 50, 000 volumes of poetry' including books, journals, chapbooks, audio and video tapes, and digital media' our collection is among the most comprehensive, open-access collections of poetry in the United States and is the foundation for all our programs and services. Each year we present over 200 public programs, including panels, lectures, readings, writing workshops and walking tours in New York City and nationwide. Panel discussions and lectures link the voices of poets living today to a vast literary tradition. Poets House readings presented in public parks and libraries cultivate a wider audience for the art. Innovative seminars and workshops taught by emerging and established poets offer aficionados and first-timers an opportunity to explore the writing process in greater depth.