Created as a vehicle for writers and publishers to distribute their recorded work directly to the public, this site allows visitors to sample a wide variety of writers's works, as read by themselves. These selections are organized into a number of channels: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Biography, Poetry, Self-Help, and Loudmouth (reader-submitted recordings). Most of the sections are quite deep, with the...

The University of Pennsylvania's Center for Programs in Contemporary Writing has created this impressive site to bring together a wide range of spoken word endeavors, including poetry readings, literary discussions, and other engaging items. The Center is led by Charles Bernstein and Al Filreis, and visitors can get a sampling of their efforts by looking over the "New at PENNsound" section of the...

Poetry can truly be found anywhere, and that is the animating force behind the website and the series created by WGBH in Boston, along with other partners at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the Poetry Foundation. On PBS, the Poetry Everywhere "moments" appear somewhat unexpectedly, but here visitors can make their way through these readings as they see fit. Visitors can check in on...

The Poetry Foundation, established in 2003, was created through a fund provided by Ruth Lilly. Since its creation, the Foundation has grown by leaps and bounds, and one of their best public outreach efforts is this website. With a well-thought out visual design, their homepage is a great starting point for learning more about the world of poetry. Sections on the homepage include “Publishing”,...

James Earl Jones credited a love of poetry for helping him overcome a problem with stuttering, and many others have spoken to a great love for the power of reading verse aloud. The National Endowment for the Arts and The Poetry Foundation are encouraging high school students to memorize and perform great poems through the Poetry Out Loud initiative. While the program is intended for high school...

Poetry Out Loud, which is sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, is a contest in which students memorize and recite poems. They start first in the classroom, then recite school-wide, then regionally, then by state and, finally, at the National Finals. The Teaching Resources section of the site features tips for teaching Poetry Out Loud, lesson plans and a...

The Bollingen Prize for Poetry at Yale University was established in 1948 by Paul Mellon, and over the past five decades has honored some of the most revered names in American poetry. The prize is awarded every two years for the best volume of poetry published in those years or for a poet's lifetime achievement in his or her art. Some of those honored over the years include Wallace Stevens,...

Based at the University of Cincinnati, the Ellison Projects holds over 700 recorded readings and lectures given under the auspices of the University of Cincinnati’s Department of English and Comparative Literature and the University Libraries since 1951. Since that time, the writers Robert Frost, Louise Gluck, Derek Walcott and many others have graced the school with their words and musings....