“The Favorite Poem Project is dedicated to celebrating, documenting and encouraging poetry’s role in our lives.
Robert Pinsky, the 39th Poet Laureate of the United States, founded the Favorite Poem Project shortly after the Library of Congress appointed him to the post in 1997.” (favoritepoem.org)

Chautauqua has participated in the Favorite Poem Project since 2009, and each year the experience is celebratory and moving.  The event is organized by the Friends of the Chautauqua Writers' Center (FCWC) and is open to everyone.  Many Chautauquans have commented that the public poetry reading event is one of their favorite events of the season.

A submitted poem must have been previously published and may not have been written by the reader or the reader’s family members.

Poems must be submitted in advance, as the reading is not an open mic event. Every effort is made to accommodate readers, especially new readers, although time constraints may limit how many submissions are selected for the reading.  This year's submission deadline and reading event details can be found on the FCWC web page here.

How to submit a poem in three steps:
1. Choose a poem or an excerpt from a long poem that you can read in four minutes or less. For excerpts, specify which section(s) of the poem you plan to read.
2. Apply via this form.
3. Include the text of the poem/excerpt or an internet link to the poem within your application.

For questions, please email  4normarees@gmail.com or friendsofthewriterscenter@gmail.com