Furious Flower 2014
The Furious Flower Poetry Center presents its decade-defining conference, September 24–27, 2014, at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The three-day event features readings by many of the best established and emerging African American poets writing today, and all of these readings are free and open to the public. Dedicated to Rita Dove, the 2014 conference also recognizes literary trailblazers Toi Derricotte, Michael Harper, Yusef Komunyakaa, Marilyn Nelson, Ishmael Reed, and Quincy Troupe with Lifetime Achievement Awards.
Together, we explore the significance and development of black poetic expression over the last century, assess the current conversations and controversies in the field, suggest new avenues of inquiry, and examine the impact of African American poetry on poets and scholars around the world, with an emphasis on emerging voices.
The Furious Flower conference happens only once every ten years. In it, we embrace a range of backgrounds, generations, and creative outlooks while launching new scholarship, critical approaches, and performance strategies. We gather the best established and emerging voices, presenting readings and roundtable discussions that are free and open to the public.