Bloomberg Línea — The Academy of American Poets, which publishes and promotes the dissemination of poetry in the United States, named Puerto Rican poet and translator Ricardo Alberto Maldonado as its new executive director and president, becoming the first Latino to lead the academy since its founding in 1934.
Maldonado will take on the role in July 2023.
“We searched for a leader who was not merely seeking a job in poetry, but who was already fully invested in living out the vocation of poetry. As a poet, translator, and arts administrator, Ricardo Maldonado brings to the Academy of American Poets an intense passion for our mission, stellar nonprofit leadership experience, strong project management skills, a commitment to education and community-building, and a depth of knowledge about American poetry from the nineteenth century poets to the cutting-edge voices of today,” the academy’s board chair Tess O’Dwyer said.
“The Board of Directors voted unanimously and enthusiastically to appoint Ricardo based on our belief that he will not only sustain the Academy’s marvelous array of poetry offerings but will also strengthen, expand, and deepen them in the years to come,” she added.
Poetry in challenging times
Maldonado will arguably face a difficult context for the promotion of poetry reading or consumption in the country.
According to data from Dimitrije Curcic of WordsRated.com, although the poetry genre has recovered some popularity in recent years, the consumption of poetry is still far below what it represented at the beginning of the century.
Curcic reports that an average of 10,100 poetry books are published each year in the US and that, during the 2013-2017 period, the genre led other categories in sales growth.
On average, about three million copies of poetry books are sold in the country each year, says Curcic.
Who is Ricardo Alberto Maldonado?
Maldonado currently serves as the co-director of 92NY’s Unterberg Poetry Center in New York City, where he produces one of the nation’s most prestigious reading series, as well as a curriculum of workshops for emerging writers and an annual poetry contest that, throughout the years, has launched the careers of major poets.
He founded the Center’s Young Writers Workshop, a three-week program for high school students; a teacher’s workshop focusing on making poetry accessible to young readers through curriculum design; and a residency for Spanish-speaking poets. Since 2020, he has spearheaded 92NY’s online seminar curriculum, drawing thousands of scholars and readers from all over the world for literary discussions, lectures, and panels. He was a founding member of the organization’s DEI committee, overseeing staff training and supporting implementation of organization-wide initiatives.
Among his projects of note, he coedited A New Colossus, an online anthology of emerging voices celebrating Emma Lazarus’s work, which was featured in the New York Times, as well as Joy and Hope and All That, a tribute to the iconic American poet Lucille Clifton.
A graduate of Tufts and Columbia University’s School of the Arts, Ricardo Alberto Maldonado is a seasoned translator whose titles include Dinapiera Di Donato’s Colaterales/Collateral (National Poetry Series / Akashic Books). He is also a poet whose collection, The Life Assignment (Four Way Books, 2020), was a finalist for the Poetry Society of America’s Norma Farber First Book Award, one of Remezcla’s Best Books by Latine or Latin American Authors, and a Silver Medalist for the Juan Felipe Herrera Best Poetry Book Award.
‘Poetry, like bread, is for everyone’
Regarding his appointment, Maldonado said, “I owe a debt of gratitude to the Academy of American Poets. Like the many millions of poets, educators, and readers across the world who have used its resources since 1934, I believe, to quote the Salvadoran poet Roque Dalton, ‘that poetry, like bread, is for everyone.’ As poetry becomes increasingly available and more vital to our national conversation, and as the Academy looks toward its ninetieth anniversary in 2024, I am honored to carry forward the organization’s mission of serving readers and supporting poets at all stages of their careers”.
“I look forward to joining forces with the Academy’s staff, Board of Directors, and Board of Chancellors—many of whom have mentored me—to keep finding the essence of poetry in our world, and to reflect on how art can responsibly shape how we see ourselves in the present and into the future,” Maldonado added.
What is the Academy of American Poets?
Founded in 1934, the Academy of American Poets is the leading champion of poets and poetry in the US, with supporters in all fifty states and beyond. The organization annually awards more than $1.3 million to more than two hundred poets at various stages of their careers through its prize program, which includes the Poet Laureate Fellowships.
The academy also produces Poets.org, the world’s largest publicly funded website for poets and poetry, and established and organizes National Poetry Month each April; publishes the popular Poem-a-Day series and American Poets magazine, as well as providing free resources to K–12 educators, including the award-winning weekly Teach this Poem series, and hosts an annual series of poetry readings and special events.
