The Concord Poetry Center is a non-profit organization founded in March, 2004, by poet and critic Joan Houlihan

Joan Houlihan

Joan Houlihan is an American poet. She is the author of three books, most recently The Us , and The Mending Worm , winner of the 2005 Green Rose Prize in Poetry...

. Located at the Emerson Umbrella Center for the Arts, in Concord, Massachusetts

Concord, Massachusetts

Concord is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 17,668. Although a small town, Concord is noted for its leading roles in American history and literature.-History:...

, the Concord Poetry Center was established as an independent (non-university affiliated) organization in MetroWest and the Greater Boston

Boston

Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

 area with an exclusive emphasis on activities and services for poets and lovers of poetry. Members have use of a library of journals, access to the poetry room, discount for classes, membership in an online discussion list, and participation in member readings. The center holds lectures, tributes, panel discussions and public readings by some of the most renowned poets of our time, including former and current Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky

Robert Pinsky

Robert Pinsky is an American poet, essayist, literary critic, and translator. From 1997 to 2000, he served as Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress. Pinsky is the author of nineteen books, most of which are collections of his own poetry...

, current Poet Laureate Donald Hall

Donald Hall

Donald Hall is an American poet. He was appointed Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 2006.-Personal life:...

, and Pulitzer Prize winner Franz Wright

Franz Wright

-Background:Wright graduated from Oberlin College in 1977. He and his father James Wright are the only parent/child pair to have won the Pulitzer Prize in the same category....

as well as many area poets. The center's programs and activities take place in the fall and spring and include workshops, seminars, online courses, and community-based readings.