Founded in 1996 by poets Toi Derricotte and Cornelius Eady to remedy the under-representation and isolation of African American poets in MFA programs and writing workshops, Cave Canem is a home for the many voices of African American poetry and is committed to cultivating the artistic and professional growth of African American poets. Called “the major watering hole and air pocket for black poetry” by poet Nikky Finney, Cave Canem has grown from an initial gathering of 27 poets to become an influential movement with a renowned faculty and a high-achieving fellowship of 268 poets residing in 34 states. Its programs include a week-long summer retreat, a first book prize, a Legacy Conversation series, writing workshops, publications and national readings. Such renowned poets as Elizabeth Alexander, Lucille Clifton, Yusef Komunyakaa, Carl Phillips and Sonia Sanchez number among the organization’s faculty and judges. Cave Canem fellows have over 150 books in print across several genres and have received many prestigious awards—Guggenheim, Lannan Literary, NEA and Stegner Fellowships; the Laughlin Award from the Academy of American Poets; and the Whiting Writers’ Award, among others. To date, the organization has published Gathering Ground: A Reader Celebrating Cave Canem’s First Decade (University of Michigan Press, 2006) and The Ringing Ear: Black Poets Lean South (The University of Georgia Press, 2007). For more information, go to cavecanempoets.org.