In the Poetry Library With Patricia Smith

A poet whose collection Incendiary Art explores tragedy and grief in black communities across America, Smith spoke with us in the CGU Tufts Poetry Award library about the role poets have in delivering the real news. The Kingsley Tufts Award is one of the largest annual monetary prizes given to a single book of poetry by a mid-career poet. The award was established at CGU in 1993 by Kate Tufts to honor the memory of her husband, Kingsley, an executive in Los Angeles-area shipyards who also wrote and published poetry. In addition to $100,000, the award includes a week-long residency at CGU in the fall, during which the winner meets with students, conducts workshops, and gives public readings. For more than 90 years, Claremont Graduate University has been a leader in graduate education. 40 master’s and 19 doctoral degree fields. Limited enrollment, renowned faculty, and small class sizes devoted entirely to graduate study. At CGU we put students first.