From Walt Whitman to Hart Crane, Brooklyn has historically been a location that attracts poets.
The newest addition to this tradition is Cave Canem Foundation, which has relocated from Manhattan to 20 Jay Street in the DUMBO section of Brooklyn.
A poetry foundation geared toward fostering and promoting the voices of young African American poets, Cave Canem was established in 1996 by poets Toi Derricotte and Cornelius Eady, who believed that African American poets could nurture their voices if given a unique setting.
According to Cave Canem Executive Director Allison Meyers,the foundation moved to DUMBO because the neighborhood is well known for its youth oriented artistic scene, which fits well with the goals of the foundation. Meyers views Brooklyn as the foundation’s base, with the goal of promoting poetry throughout all five boroughs of the city.
