Walt Whitman Birthplace Association
2014 Poet in Residence
Li-Young Lee
“What characterizes Lee’s poetry is a certain humility…a willingness to let the sublime enter his field of concentration and take over, a devotion to language, a belief in its holiness.” —Gerald Stern
Born in 1957 of Chinese parents in Jakarta, Indonesia, Lee learned early about loss and exile. His great grandfather was China's first republican President; and his father, a deeply religious Christian, was physician to Communist leader Mao Tse-Tung. After the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Lee's parents escaped to Indonesia. In 1959, his father, after spending a year as a political prisoner in President Sukarno's jails, fled Indonesia with his family to escape anti-Chinese sentiment. After a five-year trek through Hong Kong, Macau, and Japan, they settled in the United States in 1964.
WWBA's Past Poets-in-Residence
The annual Poet In Residence is proudly sponsored by WWBA. Each year the program features revered and distinguished contemporary poets who continue to embody Walt Whitman’s spirit of democracy, diversity and creativity.
William Heyen: 1981; Allan Planz: 1982; Louis Simpson: 1983; John Ciardi-1984; W.D.Snodgrass: 1985; Galway Kinnell: 1986; David Ignatow: 1987; June Jordan: 1988; Stanley Kunitz: 1989; William Stafford: 1990; Allen Ginsberg: 1991; Sharon Olds: 1992; Adrienne Rich: 1993; Robert Bly: 1994; Joseph Bruchac: 1995; Diane Wakoski: 1996; Galway Kinnell: 1997; Mark Rudman: 1998; Yevgeny Yevtushenko: 1999; Marge Piercy: 2000; Billy Collins: 2001; Gary Soto: 2002; Samuel Menashe: 2003; Marvin Bell: 2004; Nikki Giovanni: 2005; Molly Peacock: 2006; David Wagoner: 2007; Alicia Ostriker: 2008; X. J. Kennedy: 2009; Mark Doty: 2010; C.K. Williams: 2011; Martín Espada: 2012; Naomi Shihab Nye: 2013
Related Items
- “Poets To Come” Scholarship Award
- 2011 Poet In Residence C.K. Williams
- 2012 Long Island Poet of the Year: Mario Susko
- 2012 Poet in Residence Martín Espada
- 2013 Poet in Residence Naomi Shihab Nye
- 2015 Poet in Residence Yusef Komunyakaa
- 2016 Poet in Residence Robert Pinsky
- 2017 Poet in Residence Marilyn Hacker
- 2018 Poet in Residence Vijay Seshadri
- 2018 Student Poetry Contest Guidelines
- 2019 Poet-in-Residence Jane Hirschfield
- 2020 Poet-in-Residence Juan Felipe Herrera
- 2020 Student Poetry Awards Ceremony
- 2021 Poet In Residence Forrest Gander
- 2022 Gwenn A. Nusbaum / WWBA “Poets To Come” Award
- 2022 Gwenn A. Nusbaum / WWBA “Poets To Come” Award
- 2022 Poet In Residence Natasha Trethewey
- 2022 Student Poetry Contest Guidelines
- Champions of Literacy
- GRAND CHAMPIONS 2022, Student Poetry Award Winners
- Long Island Poet of the Year Award
- 2009 Long Island Poet of the Year: Patti Tana
- 2010 Long Island Poet of the Year: Gladys Henderson
- 2011 Long Island Poet of the Year: Pramila Venkateswaran
- 2013 Long Island Poet of the Year: Fran Castan
- 2014 Long Island Poet of the Year: Annabelle Moseley
- 2015 Long Island Poet of the Year: Graham Everett
- 2016 Long Island Poet of the Year: Gayl Teller
- 2017 Long Island Poet of the Year: Tammy Nuzzo-Morgan
- 2018 Long Island Poet of the Year: Barbara Reiher-Meyers
- 2019 Long Island Poet of the Year: J R Turek
- 2020 Long Island Poet of the Year: Christina M. Rau
- 2021 Long Island Poet of the Year: Cliff Bleidner
- 2022 LI Poet Of The Year: Matt Pasca
- Poets-in-Residence
- Writers in Residence
Hours & Admission
Hours
Winter (Post-Labor Day through June)
Wed-Fri: 1-4 p.m.
Sat-Sun: 11-4 p.m.
Summer Hours (June 15 through Labor Day)
Mon-Fri: 11-4 p.m.
Sat-Sun: 11-5 p.m.
Admission Cost
Adults: $8
Seniors, Military & Groups: $7
Students & Kids over 5: $6
Kids 5 & under: Free