Poem-a-Day - Celebrating 100 Years of The Waste Land

“But The Waste Land is not only a poem; it names an event, like a tornado or an earthquake. Its publication was a watershed, marking a before and after. It was a poem unequivocal in its declaration that the ancient art of poetry had become modern.”

—Jed Rasula, What the Thunder Said: How The Waste Land Made Poetry Modern (Introduction)

The Waste Land by T. S. Eliot was originally published in 1922, in the October issue of The Criterion. Celebrate the centenary by reading the poem, as well as essays commemorating the poem’s impact by Jed Rasula, Sandra Beasley, and Ange Mlinko. 

Eligible organizations are still able to apply for two-year grants of $5,000–$25,000 each year, or $10,000–$50,000 total, to support capacity-building initiatives. The grant program is a multi-year funding opportunity for literary organizations that present or serve poets, or that incorporate poetry as part of their programming. Applications will be accepted through October 28 at 5 p.m. ET on the Academy of American Poets Submittable page. Learn more about eligibility requirements. The Academy of American Poets and CLMP hosted a joint information session for interested applicants on September 16. A recording of the session is available here.