Welcome to Furious Flower
In “Second Sermon on the Warpland,” Pulitzer-Prize winner and former U.S. Poet Laureate Gwendolyn Brooks writes,
The time
cracks into furious flower. Lifts its face
all unashamed. And sways in wicked grace.
Taking its name from these lines in Brooks’ poem and dedicated to her literary legacy, Furious Flower is the nation’s only academic center devoted to African American poetry. We serve James Madison University, our local Harrisonburg community, and scholars everywhere with education, research, and publishing.
Stories
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Poets, Photographers, and Poet-Photographers (Part One)
C. B. Claiborne has photographed some of America's finest writers as they performed and participated at the Furious Flower Poetry ... Read More >
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Spring 2015 Reading Series presented by Furious Flower
Kamilah Aisha Moon (Feb. 9), Rachel Eliza Griffiths (Mar. 19), and Ross Gay (Apr. 1) visit Furious Flower this spring to read at JMU. ... Read More >
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Poets demonstrate and reflect: Black Lives Matter
Our poets continue to model humanity, expose the inanities of social injustice, and prod us to rise up against evil. ... Read More >
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In the Company of Poets
Students reflect on the Furious Flower Poetry Conference, including meeting Rita Dove and Jericho Brown ... Read More >
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Seeking Komunyakaa
Senior Austin Shifflett enters the "cryptic and uncanny world of Yusef Komunyakaa," a poet he found both imposing and inviting at ... Read More >
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Patricia Smith: Golden Wordwoman
Senior Brittany Fisher regards Patricia Smith as a poet who deals with "some of the most controversial and untouchable topics." ... Read More >
