Rochester, N.Y. — BOA Editions has been approved for a $35,000 ArtWorks grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to support the publication and promotion of eight new books of contemporary poetry. Overall, the National Endowment for the Arts has approved 1,187 grants totaling $27.3 million in the first round of fiscal year 2020 funding to support arts projects in every state in the nation, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
The Art Works funding category supports projects that focus on public engagement with, and access to, various forms of excellent art across the nation; the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence; learning in the arts at all stages of life; and the integration of the arts into the fabric of community life.
“The arts are at the heart of our communities, connecting people through shared experiences and artistic expression,” said Arts Endowment chairman Mary Anne Carter. “The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support projects like BOA Editions.”
BOA Publisher Peter Conners says, “The NEA’s commitment to supporting BOA is also great acknowledgement for the authors that we publish. Ultimately, it’s their work that earns this crucial financial support, and the thousands of readers who value their writing who benefit most. On behalf of BOA, we thank the NEA, celebrate all of our amazing authors, and recommit to using these funds to bring vital voices to a world of readers.”
BOA Editions will use this grant to support the publication and promotion of eight new books of contemporary poetry. Planned books include print and electronic editions of Rue by Kathryn Nuernberger; Let’s Become a Ghost Story by Rick Bursky; Year of the Dog by Deborah Paredez; Brand New Spacesuit by John Gallaher; How to Carry Water: Selected Poems of Lucille Clifton edited by Aracelis Girmay; Caw by Michael Waters; Letters to a Young Brown Girl by Barbara Jane Reyes; and Mother Country by Elana Bell. Books will be promoted to a wide and diverse audience through readings and other literary events across the country, print and online advertising, and social media outreach.
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent federal agency that funds, promotes, and strengthens the creative capacity of our communities by providing all Americans with diverse opportunities for arts participation. For more information on this National Endowment for the Arts grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.
BOA Editions, Ltd. is a nationally acclaimed not-for-profit independent publisher of contemporary poetry and literary fiction. Founded in 1976 by A. Poulin, Jr. to provide a publishing venue for both new and established poets, BOA has released more than 300 titles, including more than two dozen books of poetry-in-translation. Many BOA titles and authors have been recognized with literary awards, including the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry. For more information about BOA Editions, visit boaeditions.org/about.
