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, the mission of the Furious Flower Poetry Center is to cultivate, honor, and promote the diverse voices of African American poets. Several of our programs have come to be considered landmark events, bringing together established and emerging poets, along with students and faculty from universities across the nation. After a visit to the 2004 Furious Flower conference, Nikky Finney proclaimed it “black poetry planet.”
We serve James Madison University, the Harrisonburg community, and scholars everywhere with education, research, and publishing.
Stories
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Planting the seeds for a third Furious Flower conference
Preparing for its much-anticipated conference in the fall of 2014, JMU's Furious Flower calls for papers on African American and black ... Read More >
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Furious Flower presents Rita Dove, other legendary poets
Once again, Dr. Joanne Gabbin gathers the leading lights of African American poetry at JMU this fall. ... Read More >
Events
- Mar 5: CANCELLED: Furious Flower poetry reading with Dawn Lundy Martin
- Mar 10: Dr. Gabbin emcees Kentucky State University Concert Choir performance
- Apr 14: Furious Flower poetry reading with Nadine Pinede
- Aug 4: Tenth Annual Summer Poetry Camp
- Sep 24: Conference: Seeding the Future of African American Poetry
