Featured Illinois Poet

Although this website's objective is simply to promote the art of poetry, its special focus is the rich bounty of work created by our state's poets past and present. Through features on the work of Illinois poets, the site will highlight the poetic legacy of Illinois and showcase the bevy of fine poets currently writing within the state.

Please visit the Illinois Poet Laureate website to view past Featured Poets.

Amy Newman

Amy Newman has published four books of poetry: Order, or Disorder, Camera Lyrica, fall, and Dear Editor. Among her awards are the Beatrice Hawley Prize, The Lexi Rudnitsky Editor's Choice Award, and a fellowship from The MacDowell Colony.

She is Presidential Research Professor at Northern Illinois University.

Audio/Text Poems

  • "19 November Dear Editor"
  • "20 December Dear Eidtor"
  • "10 January Dear Editor"
  • "When Patricia Hartle Would Give DelmoreSchwartz a Ride To His Old Farm Property in New Jersey, He Would Wander About In The Fields For Hours, Calling For A Lost Cat" & "On Safari In The Serengeti With Her Husband Kayo, Anne Sexton Writes Letters To Her Therapist" - Both of these are from The Missouri Review. To visit The Missouri Reivew, CLICK HERE.
  • "When Robert Lowell Broke Jean Stafford's Nose For the Second Time" - This piece is from Southern Indiana Review. To visit Southern Indiana Review, CLICK HERE.
  • "While Sylvia Plath Studies The Joy of Cooking On Her Honeymoon In Benidorm, Spain, Delmore Schwartz Reclines In The Front Seat Of His Buick Roadmaster" - This piece is from The Chronicle of Higher Education. To visist The Chronicle of Higher Education, CLICK HERE.