ENROLL HERE! ** ModPo is a fast-paced introduction to modern and contemporary U.S. poetry, with an emphasis on experimental verse, from Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman to the present. Participants (who need no prior...
During week 2 of ModPoPLUS, we read and discuss a poem by Hannah Sanghee Park that appeared in her book The same-different (LSU Press, 2015). Park earned an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop...
Ken Paul Rosenthal visited the Kelly Writers House in part to discuss Julia Vinograd’s poem “Why I Write Poetry.” You can watch that discussion HERE. And here, below, is the text of the poem:
In 2025 this poem was featured in one of the essay assignments for ModPo.
Here is the text of Laura Riding’s poem “Mouth.” We discuss that poem HERE in a video filmed at the Kelly Writers House.
In early October, the ModPo team will be traveling to Manchester, UK. As usual, we will be filming discussions with poets about various poems—in this case, Manchester and Manchester-affiliated poets and poems. The poems...
Just out—this interview with me about my hopes for digital pedagogy. From the host, Trevor Aleo: “In this episode of Conceptually Speaking, I sit down with Dr. Al Filreis, the Kelly Professor at the...
Readers and fans of the late Julia Vinograd will be happy to have the latest about Ken Paul Rosenthal’s film about Julia’s life and work: “I’m thrilled to inform you that I’ve finished editing...
Dear Students of ModPo, Some of you may recall that Karren Alenier was an original student and later a CTA of ModPo. Her interest has always been the work of Gertrude Stein. This year...
Vero Garcia — Veronica Scharf Garcia — long-time super-citizen of the ModPo world, created this Duchampian sketch for us, and we are delighted to share it widely.
During the ModPo team’s visit to Scotland in October 2023, we hosted a live webcast at the Scottish Poetry Library. During that discussion we had occasion to look once again at Baraka’s “Incident,” a...
NOTE: All times given are Eastern U.S. Time. Click HERE to watch any of our 2025 webcasts.
Week 1 – Wed 9/2 – noon
Week 2 – Wed 9/9 – 10 AM
Week 3 – Wed 9/16 – 3 PM
Week 4 – Wed 9/23 – noon (w/ Ron Silliman)
Week 5 – Thursday 10/1 (in Manchester) 6:30 local time
Week 6 – Wed 10/7 – 3 PM
Week 7 – Wed 10/14 – 3 PM (w/ Anne Waldman)
Week 8 – Wed 10/21 – noon (w/ Bob Perelmant)
Week 9 – Wed 10/28 – 10 AM
Week 10 – Wed 11/4 – 3 PM (w/ Emily Skillings & Mark Nowak)
Final Words – Monday 11/9 – noon
Yes, you can take ModPo for University of Pennsylvania credit. Three 10-week sessions are offered each year: fall, spring, summer. This version of ModPo is taught by ModPo coordinator Laynie Browne. Click HERE for all the info you need. Contact Laynie with questions at modpo@writing.upenn.edu.
ModPo has created a Teacher Resource Center (“TRC“) for teachers who use ModPo poems & videos in their classrooms. Click HERE to read teaching guides and watch videos in which teachers talk about teaching with ModPo. If you wish to be added to our teachers mailing list, write us at modpo@writing.upenn.edu. Click HERE to discuss ModPo poems with other teachers.
