Furious Flower Poetry Center

The Furious Flower Poetry Center is the first academic center in the United States devoted to African American poetry. The center is a part of the honors program at James Madison University. Dr. Joanne V. Gabbin is the current executive director. English professor Lauren Allenye also serves as an assistant director. [1]


Even beyond its decennial conferences, the FFPC is very active - both on and off campus. The many activities it hosts includes poetry camps during the summer for the youth, workshops, and visits for poets.[2] Aside from its substantial collection of Black poetry, the Center also has an online journal titled The Fight & the Fiddle.[3]

History

The Furious Flower Poetry Center (FFPC) was established by Joanne V. Gabbin in 1999[4] at James Madison University. The name of the center comes from Gwendolyn Brooks' poem, "Second Sermon on the Warpland." In the poem she writes,

The time

cracks into furious flower. Lifts its face

all unashamed. And sways in wicked grace[5].

Gabbin was the director of the James Madison University's Honors Program. She hosted the first Furious Flower Poetry Conference in 1994. It was the United States first scholarly conference on Black poetry. After the success of the second Furious Flower Conference in 2004, James Madison granted FFPC its charter. Through this charter, FFPC became the first academic center in the United States devoted to Black Poetry. Today the center is committed to “cultivating, honoring, and promoting the diverse voices of African American poets by making the genre accessible to a wide audience and collaborating with educational and cultural institutions, literary organizations, and artists.”[4]

Conferences

Since its establishment, the FFPC has held three decennial conferences: "A Revolution in African American Poetry" (1994), "Regenerating the Black Poetic Tradition" (2004), and "Seeding the Future of African American Poetry" (2014). Each conference features African American poets and scholars readings, which are free and open to the public.

A Revolution in African American Poetry

The first conference included more than 30 poets.[6] Among these were Nikki Giovanni, Gwendolyn Brooks, Amiri Baraka, and Sonya Sanchez.  This event sparked the beginning of a contemporary Black renaissance.

Furious Flower: Regenerating the Black Poetic Tradition

The second conference by the FFPC was held on September 22–25, 2004.[7] This conference was held ten years after the first. Dr. Joanne Gabbin dedicated the conference to Amiri Baraka and Sonia Sanchez. They were architects of the Black Arts Movement. More than 50 poets and scholars shared their works and spoke on Black poetry. After this conference, James Madison established the Furious Flower Poetry Center and Gabbin became the executive director.

Seeding the Future of African American Poetry

The third conference held by FFPC was September 24–27, 2014 at James Madison. The FFPC dedicated the conference to Rita Dove. The conference also recognized literary trailblazers Toi Derricotte, Michael Harper, Yusef Komunyakaa, Marilyn Nelson, Ishmael Reed, and Quincy Troupe with Lifetime Achievement Awards.[8]

Over 300 scholars traveled to JMU’s campus to attend the FFPC’s third conference, consisting of concerts, readings, gallery receptions, panels, and group discussions. The University was also very involved in the event, contributing more than ⅓ of the budget. In addition to financial resources, many students, teachers and faculty members devoted their time to the event. [9]

Partnerships

Bringing the celebration of Black poetry along with it, the FFPC celebrated its 25th anniversary at the opening of The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture’s fall programming. Black poets such as Nikki Giovanni, Yusef Komunyakaa, Sonia Sanchez, Gregory Pardlo, Terrance Hayes, Tyehimba Jess, and the Swazi Poets of South Africa performed some of their pieces. In addition to this, the FFPC hosted workshops and discussions to further recognize Black literature. There were also opportunities to purchase the works of these writers at the event. [10]

The FFPC held a tribute to the late poet Lucille Clifton, a prestigious Black female writer and a recipient of the 2000 National Book Award for Poetry. The event was also another partnership with an outside organization, Virginia Tech Steger Poetry Prize. Director Joanne Gabbin personally worked with Nikki Giovanni to plan this tribute. Beautifully coordinated, 73 poems were read to commemorate each year of the Clifton’s life. In addition, the Center called on other Black women poets to read her work, showcasing the tradition of Black women intellect. [11]

Target Stores, Inc. partnered with the FFPC, Maya Angelou and the Poetry Foundation to create an online curriculum where students could have public access to a collection of Black literature. They also hosted several King Day Events throughout the United States with a goal of raising the recognition of Black achievements and societal contributions. One of these events was hosted at Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA, King’s alma mater. [12]

The FFPC is included in a partnership with the University of Kansas to create another academic center that will spur the recognition of Black literary intellect. A grant of $189,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities was given to the University of Kansas to fund an institute that would focus on the teaching and appreciation of African-American poetry.  The FFPC partners with KU by sharing its collection of Black literature with the institute.[13] The two collaborated again to create a federally funded three-week program within the institute, “Don't Deny My Voice: Reading and Teaching African American Poetry." Twenty-five teachers were selected to attend. [14]

Publications
  • Shaping Memories: Reflections of African American Women Writers, University Press of Mississippi August 11, 2009
  • Mourning Katrina: A Poetic Response to Tragedy, Mariner Media January 5, 2009
  • Furious Flower: African American Poetry from the Black Arts Movement to the Present, University of Virginia Press February 13, 2004
  • The Furious Flower of African American Poetry, University of Virginia Press July 29, 1999
  • The Painted Word: African American Poets Notecards, Pomegranate 2004
  • Rita Dove's "Ode to My Right Knee" Broadside, Virginia Arts of the Book with Furious Flower Poetry Center 2014[15]
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References
  1. Imperial, Brooke. "Furious Flower Poetry Center Hosts Kwame Dawes, Matthew Shenoda." University Wire, Oct 23, 2017. ProQuest 1953973841
  2. Eaton, Lynn and Flota, Brian, "Collaborative Collection Development and Community Outreach: Responding to Faculty Research" (2016). Libraries. Paper 66. http://commons.lib.jmu.edu/letfspubs/66
  3. Jordan, Latoya. "Furious Flower Grows in Virginia." Poets & Writers Magazine, vol. 47, no. 5, 2019, p. 16+. Gale Academic Onefile, https://www.pw.org/content/furious_flower_grows_in_virginia
  4. "Furious Flower Poetry Center Records - James Madison University Libraries". Lib.jmu.edu. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  5. Brooks, Gwendolyn. 1988. The second sermon on the warpland: for Walter Bradford. [Tucson, Ariz.]: Chax Press.
  6. Jordan, Latoya. "Furious Flower Grows in Virginia." Poets & Writers Magazine, vol. 47, no. 5, 2019, p. 16+. Gale Academic Onefile, Accessed 30 Nov. 2019. https://www.pw.org/content/furious_flower_grows_in_virginia
  7. "2004 Furious Flower Poetry Conference". Jmu.edu. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  8. Mott, Karen Risch. "Furious Flower Conference, September 24~27, 2014". Jmu.edu. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  9. "Letter: JMU's Culture Makes Furious Flower Conference Flourish." University Wire, Dec 10, 2014. ProQuest 1634900348
  10. "Fall Programming Launches with Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch’s Book Event on Third Anniversary of National Museum of African American History and Culture: Two Book Discussions, Screening of the New Film “Harriet” and the 25th Anniversary Event of Furious Flower Poetry Center with Nikki Giovanni and Sonia Sanchez are Featured." NASDAQ OMX's News Release Distribution Channel, Sep 19, 2019. ProQuest 2292992688
  11. "Renowned Poets to Honor Lucille Clifton by Reading Her Poems at JMU." Targeted News Service, Sep 16, 2010. ProQuest 754922449
  12. "Target Dreams in Color for King Day and Beyond; Partnership with Dr. Maya Angelou, the Poetry Foundation and the Furious Flower Poetry Center at James Madison University Honors Black Culture, Celebrates Diversity and Launches with Online Curriculum." PR Newswire, Jan 11, 2007. ProQuest 448727375
  13. "INSTITUTE FOR TEACHING AFRICAN-AMERICAN POETRY AWARDED NATIONAL GRANT." US Fed News Service, Including US State News, Sep 30, 2012. ProQuest 1081292976
  14. "25 Instructors Selected for Summer Institute on African-American Poetry." Targeted News Service, May 29, 2013. ProQuest 1356412285
  15. "Books & Printed Materials". Jmu.edu. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
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