LLC52: Views of the 20th Century Long Poem: John Ashbery and A.R. Ammons

Collaborative Goals

Our goals are two-fold: 1) to establish a community of scholars and poets interested in the 20th century American long poem and its various forms; and 2) to deepen the research on the work of A.R. Ammons and John Ashbery, whose long poems frequently reflect the landscape of our region. The landscapes of central and western New York undoubtedly shaped the poetic sensibility of these major poets.

• We will begin by seeking new collaborators throughout the corridor, in addition to established participants. Once the working group is approved, we will contact all corridor institutions to put out a call for participants.
• We will hold two meetings per semester to discuss readings and current research. Our meetings will be held in-person at Cornell University--in the Ammons archive--but we will also offer a Zoom option for participants that cannot travel. Our readings will reflect the landscape of current scholarship on these poets and the state of the "long poem" in American poetry.
• In the meantime, group organizers, Christian Wessels and Roger Gilbert, will plan a day-long symposium on the work of A.R. Ammons to be hosted at Cornell University in Spring 2027. Ammons taught at Cornell for several decades--until his death in February 2001--and this symposium would mark the centenary of his birth. We will put out a CfP, inviting local and nation-wide scholars to present on a variety of topics related to Ammons, his life, and his work. In addition to themed panels, the symposium will feature an essay workshop (geared especially toward graduate students in the Corridor) and a keynote lecture.