PSNY's Free Verse Workshops are monthly, identity-centered, free virtual spaces designed to amplify BIPOC Creatives (and, starting in 2025, LGBTQ+ Creatives, thanks to the support of the National Book Foundation)!

At The Poetry Society of New York, we believe that true creativity flourishes when all voices are heard, especially those that have been historically marginalized. Our commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity isn't just a statement—it’s woven into the fabric of everything we do. We strive to model this commitment for the entire arts industry, creating spaces where everyone, regardless of their background, feels seen, valued, and empowered.

In Another Country, James Baldwin wrote, "The place in which I’ll fit will not exist until I make it." PSNY’s Free Verse Initiative is about building that place—one shaped for those whose voices have long been excluded from a predominantly white, cis-heteropatriarchal canon. These workshops directly respond to the social inequities that too often silence BIPOC and LGBTQ+ voices. By centering these lived experiences, we aim to create vibrant, welcoming spaces where historically marginalized voices are uplifted, celebrated, and heard. Here, participants can connect, create, and explore their unique identities through poetry.

Each session also encourages resource-sharing, as participants exchange literature, community events, and grants, building networks of solidarity that extend beyond the workshop. As part of our unwavering commitment to equity, all attendees receive a 50% discount for our Weekly Virtual Workshops—because access to the arts should never be a privilege but a right.

If you do not identify as BIPOC or LGBTQ+, we warmly invite you to explore other PSNY events.

Learn more here!

We know that living in modern society is difficult, and everybody sooner or later wants to pull a Thoreau: escape commercialism, go into a dense forest, and write. Embrace your inner transcendentalist and come to Poetry Camp, PSNY’s very own summer camp and annual writing retreat run by a wild lot of poets! 

Poetry Camp encourages all attendees—whether they are poets, poetry-lovers, or even poets-to-be—to cultivate their sense of childlike wonder. It is first and foremost a writing retreat (with free time to write allotted). Those wishing to delve deeply into their craft can attend Seminars and intimate Small Group Workshops with some of the world’s most iconic poets. Previous instructors have included Terrance Hayes (National Book Award Winner), Ariana Reines (Obie Award Winner), Matthew Yeager (Best American Poetry), and more. 

If you’re not a poet, have no fear! This five-day, four-night retreat only 90 miles from Manhattan will feature fun for everyone! Each day will be packed to the brim with opt-in activities. Families can bond over Arts and Crafts, including paper, button, cyanotype bookmark, and broadside making. Old and new friends can compete during our daily Cabin Clashes. Poetry Camp prioritizes belonging and community, and at the end of each day, everyone will come together for a Salon, homemade dinner, and a campfire.

Learn more here!

In our six-week Virtual Writing Intensives, we focus on generating new work, closely examining the work of more established poets, and reading a range of passages and essays on poetics.

What makes a poem, and how can we challenge the various conventions of the genre—voice, form, and technique—to find new possibilities for our poems? How do we talk about poetry constructively and critically? 

From the brass tacks of a poem’s architecture to the atmosphere materialized from sound, image, and metaphor, our Virtual Writing Intensives offers a space for writers at any level—from published poets to those writing their very first stanza—to take a deep dive into makings of a poem. 

We begin each session with a generative writing activity and a reading exploring a specific component or concept of poetry. We then spend the rest of the workshop alternating between groups and workshopping each individual’s poem as a group. Students are required to submit one poem beforehand, and to prepare comments for their peers’ work each week. 

Learn more here!

With the goals of sparking authenticity, community, and healing, The Poetry Society of New York's Weekly Virtual Workshops are a space where writers can come together and tap into their collective creative potential. They're curated with a focus on conversation, collaboration, and of course, creation! They each surround a fun, experimental, and accessible weekly theme, such as Self-Love Spells, Poetry as a Movie, Poetry & Abject Horror, Poetry Divination, and Photo-Voice Poetics.

PSNY's workshops follow an LWS flow: lecture, generative free-writes, and a sharing session of the magic produced in the free-write! To deepen engagement during the lecture, we integrate a text-based, Socratic seminar approach; after introducing your theme, you'll facilitate a dialogue that encourages everyone to engage critically with the material.

Each workshop runs for 1 hour and 15 minutes and has approximately 10-15 students. They're open to all poetry-lovers regardless of age, location, and previous experience with PSNY/poetry in general. Admission is $20, and all PSNY members have access to discount codes. 

Learn more here!

Wine Poetic is where the worlds of wine, spirits, poetry, and history converge. This integrative, in-person workshop series, cleverly named as a play on words that reflects the deep connections between these elements, was co-created by Jackie Braje of The Poetry Society of New York and Darby Wagner, founder of GNOSES and a writer + sommelière. The series focuses on site-specific wines (and other spirits/ancestral libations) and poetry, explored through a historical and poetic lens.

In each session, we delve into the life and work of a significant poet—whether from the past or present—while pairing their work with a curated selection of wines and/or spirits from the poet’s country of origin.

By experiencing these two art forms in tandem, we invite participants to not only understand their shared emotional resonance but to feel it on a deeper level.

Learn more here!

Calling all young poets across New York State! Are you ready to share your words with the world? The Poetry Society of New York is thrilled to launch its annual Youth Poetry Contest, an extraordinary celebration of creativity, talent, and the transformative power of poetry. Open to all writers under 18 living in New York State, this contest is an invitation to take the stage, raise your voice, and shine.

At PSNY, we believe poetry belongs to us all. Whether you’ve been writing for years or are just beginning to explore the art of words, we want to hear from you. There’s no theme for this contest—let your imagination run wild! Submit your best work, in any form or on any subject, and share the unique way you see the world.

Winning poets will receive not only prizes but also a platform to share their work with the vibrant poetry community. First place will receive $300, second place $200, and third place $100. All three winning poets will also have their work published in Milk Press, the publishing arm of PSNY, and the opportunity to perform on the youth stage at the renowned New York City Poetry Festival. Imagine your words echoing across Governors Island, surrounded by fellow poets, art lovers, and an audience eager to celebrate your creativity.

Learn more and enter today here!