• Mission
• Objectives
• Affiliation
• Board Members
• Staff
• Partners & Volunteers
• Partnering Organizations

Mission

The South Carolina Poetry Initiative is a center for the promotion, celebration, production of poetry based at the University of South Carolina. To accomplish its goals, the Poetry Initiative has established partnerships with a wide cross section of arts organizations and private and public sector organizations. The Poetry Initiative is a statewide organization that works with libraries, museums, schools, colleges, community organizations, and various other entities to promote and celebrate the reading, writing and performing of poetry in the state of South Carolina population.

Objectives

• 
  Offer resources for SC poets to develop their craft and to find support for the work that they do through workshops, retreats and an annual Poetry Summit.
• 
  Encourage the writing, reading and appreciation of poetry throughout the state.
• 
  Serve as a resource for colleges and schools in their efforts to make poetry more accessible to students and to enhance learning skills through the writing and appreciation of poetry.
• 
  Celebrate the accomplishments of poets within the region by promoting and organizing contests, readings, tours, residences etc.
• 
  Serve as a center where poets and people interested in poetry can do research, learn about publishing, participate in writing workshops and exchange ideas about writing, etc.
• 
  Organize and promotes creative partnerships for poetry with the public library system, museums, galleries, community centers, arts centers, etc.

Affiliation

The Poetry Initiative falls under the umbrella of the English Department of the University of South Carolina.

The Director's appointment is for 4 years. The Director receives a stipend and a course reduction for directing the Initiative.

A graduate research assistant is assigned to the Poetry Initiative.

BOARD MEMBERS

STAFF MEMBERS

	Kwame Dawes Distinguished Poet In Residence, Director Poetry Initiative
	Ed Madden
	Charlene Spearen USC Graduate Student Split P/ Columbia Museum of Art Frisson Series/ Poet
	Ray MacManus USC Graduate Student/ Split P/ Tri Dac Director/ High School Teacher/ Poet
	Carrie Young

ADDITIONAL PARTNERS AND VOLUNTEERS

Ellen Arl--Poet/Professor, USC Sumter

David Axe--MFA Student

Matt Boyleston--MFA Student

Jayne Darke--Freelance Publicist

Fred Dings--Poet In Residence, USC

Sara June Goldstein--South Carolina Arts Commission

Scott Gwara--Professor of English, Director of Maxcy Press

Paige Haggard--MFA Student/ Graphic Designer

Dianne Johnson--Professor of English, Poet

David Miller--Poet/ Lecturer/ Split P Soup

Lana Odom--South Sumter Resource Center

Vicki Parsons--South Carolina Humanities Council/ Director, South Carolina Book Festival

Rebecca Randall--Poet/ MFA Student

Kevin Simmonds--Poet/ Composer/ Graduate Student

Stacy Smallwood--Poet/ Columbia Slam Poetry Team/ Split P Soup

Randy Spencer--Poet/Physician

Barbara Thomson--Teacher/ Poetry Advocate

PARTNERING ORGANIZATIONS

African American Writers Alliance of Columbia

Columbia Lesbian and Gay Alliance

Columbia Museum of Art

Gallery 701

Maxcy Press

McKessick Museum

Office of the South Carolina Poet Laureate

South Sumter Resource Center

Thomas Cooper Library

University of South Carolina, Sumter

University of South Carolina, Beaufort

USC School of Medicine

© 2003.University of South Carolina.