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36-607: The Favorite Poem Project was founded in 1997 by Robert Pinsky shortly after he was appointed 39th Poet Laureate of the United States by the Library of Congress . During the one-year open call for submissions, 18,000 Americans wrote to the project volunteering to share their favorite poems. Submissions came from Americans ages 5 to 97, from every state, of diverse occupations, education and backgrounds. The project has prompted hundreds of Favorite Poem readings in cities and towns across

72-753: A National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship in 1974, and in 1997 he was named the United States Poet Laureate and Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress; he was the first poet to be named to three terms. As Poet Laureate, Pinsky founded the Favorite Poem Project , in which thousands of Americans of varying backgrounds, all ages, and from every state share their favorite poems. Pinsky believed that, contrary to stereotype, poetry has

108-399: A 1999 interview with Bomb Magazine that he enjoys jazz for its "physical immediacy, improvisation and also the sense that a lifetime of suffering and study and thought and emotion is behind some single phrase." Pinsky has acknowledged that his poetry would change somewhat depending on the particular subjectivity of each reader. Embracing the idea that people's individuality would fill out

144-701: A grant program that is similar to previous programs in the Challenge Grants office. These are special priorities of the endowment that indicate critical areas of the humanities as identified by the NEH chair. They differ from the divisions of the endowment in that they do not sponsor or coordinate specific grant programs. Bridging Cultures was an NEH initiative that explored ways the humanities promote understanding and mutual respect for people with diverse histories, cultures, and perspectives. Projects supported through this initiative focused on cultures globally as well as within

180-473: A periodical called Humanities ; that original incarnation was discontinued in 1978. In 1980, Humanities magazine was relaunched ( ISSN   0018-7526 ). It is published six times per year, with one cover article each year dedicated to profiling that year's Jefferson Lecturer. Most of its articles have some connection to NEH activities. The magazine's editor since 2007 has been journalist and author David Skinner . From 1990 until her death in 2007, Humanities

216-491: A strong presence in the American culture. The project sought to document that presence, giving voice to the American audience for poetry. The Shakespeare Theatre of Washington, D.C. commissioned Pinsky to write a free adaptation of Friederich Schiller's drama Wallenstein . The Shakespeare Theatre presented the play, starring Stephen Pickering in the title role, directed by Michael Kahn, in 2013. Premiering on April 17 of that year,

252-513: Is directed by a chair , who has legal authority to approve all recommendations and award grants and cooperative agreements. The chair is nominated by the president and confirmed with the advice and consent of the U.S. Senate. The chair's decisions are informed by recommendations from the National Council on the Humanities, peer-reviewers who are selected to read each project proposal submitted to

288-430: Is more important...than establishing an ethos of thoughtfulness and decency of expression in the public square. Words reflect emotion as well as meaning. They clarify—or cloud—thought and energize action, sometimes bringing out the better angels in our nature, sometimes lesser instincts." The tenth chair of the NEH was William Adams , who served from 2014 to 2017. President Obama nominated Adams on April 4, 2014; Adams

324-600: The Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center . These materials, along with the project's database of nearly 25,000 letters written by American readers, are used by scholars and researchers. Production of the Favorite Poem Project video anthology was overseen by executive producer Juanita Anderson. Video directors include Juanita Anderson, Natatcha Estébanez, Emiko Omori, d.b.Roderick, Debra Farrar-Parkman and Maria Theresa Rodriguez. Final versions of

360-1120: The National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965 ( Pub. L.   89–209 ), dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities . The NEH is housed in the Constitution Center at 400 7th St SW, Washington, D.C. From 1979 to 2014, NEH was at 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue , N.W., Washington, D.C., in the Nancy Hanks Center at the Old Post Office . The NEH provides grants for high-quality humanities projects to cultural institutions such as museums, archives, libraries, colleges, universities, public television, and radio stations, and to individual scholars . According to its mission statement: "Because democracy demands wisdom, NEH serves and strengthens our republic by promoting excellence in

396-528: The University of Michigan (2001), Lake Forest College (2007), Emerson College (2012), Southern New Hampshire University (2014) University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (2016), and Merrimack College (2016) National Endowment for the Humanities The National Endowment for the Humanities ( NEH ) is an independent federal agency of the U.S. government , established by

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432-622: The animated sitcom The Simpsons TV show, " Little Girl in the Big Ten " (2002), and appeared on The Colbert Report in April, 2007, as the judge of a "Meta-Free-Phor-All" between Stephen Colbert and Sean Penn . Since 2000, Farrar, Straus and Giroux have published four books of his poetry Jersey Rain (2000), Gulf Music (2007) Selected Poems (2011) and At the Foundling Hospital (2016). In 2012, Circumstantial Productions released

468-428: The American "Civility Tour" to call attention to the need to restore reason and civility back into politics, a goal that in his words was "central to the humanities." Leach visited each of the 50 states, speaking at venues ranging from university and museum lecture halls to hospitals for veterans, to support the return of non-emotive, civil exchange and rational consideration of other viewpoints. According to Leach, "Little

504-852: The CD, PoemJazz by Robert Pinsky and Laurence Hobgood . In 2015, House Hour: PoemJazz II was released. Pinsky served as editor of the 25th anniversary volume of The Best of American Poetry anthologies called The Best of the Best of American Poetry (2013), and is the former poetry editor of Slate . He edited Singing School (2014), The Mind Has Cliffs of Fall: Poems at the Extremes of Feeling (2019) and The Book of Poetry for Hard Times (2021). In 2023, W.W. Norton published Pinsky's memoir Jersey Breaks: Becoming an American Poet . Pinsky has received honorary doctorates from numerous institutions such as Northwestern University (2000), Binghamton University (2001),

540-615: The Endowment, as well as by the Endowment's staff. The council is composed of 27 members, 26 appointed by the president of the United States with the consent of the United States Senate and the chairperson of the NEH, who also serves as chair of the council. The twenty-six appointed by the President are selected from among private citizens of the United States who are recognized for their broad knowledge of, expertise in, or commitment to

576-585: The Humanities, convened in 1963 with representatives from three US scholarly and educational associations, the Phi Beta Kappa Society , the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS), and the Council of Graduate Schools . The agencies stated purpose is to create incentives for excellent work in the humanities by: As part of its mandate to support humanities programs in every US state and territory,

612-505: The NEH. On February 10, 2020, the NEH was presented by the Trump administration with a FY2021 budget that included an orderly wind-down of the agency. Plans to close the agency were halted under the Biden administration and the NEH continues to operate and provides funding for various projects. In 2022, Shelly Lowe was confirmed as the chairman of the NEH. She is the first Native American to lead

648-654: The United States. This initiative, launched in 2014, marks a priority to make awards that promote understanding of the military experience and to support returning veterans. We the People was an NEH special funding stream initiated by NEH chair Coles, using dedicated funds available to each chair of the NEH, which was designed to encourage and enhance the teaching, study, and understanding of American history, culture, and democratic principles. The initiative supports projects and programs that explore significant events and themes in American nation's history, which advance knowledge of

684-625: The agency supports a network of private, nonprofit affiliates, the 56 humanities councils in the states and territories of the United States . The ninth NEH chair was Jim Leach . President Obama nominated the former Iowa congressman, a Republican, to chair the NEH on June 3, 2009; the Senate confirmed his appointment in August 2009. Leach began his term as the NEH chair on August 12, 2009, and stepped down in May 2013. Between November 2009 and May 2011, Leach conducted

720-497: The agency. Congress appropriated US$ 180 million for the NEH in FY2022, and US$ 207 million in 2023. The Endowment is directed by the NEH chair . Advising the chair is the National Council on the Humanities, a board of 26 distinguished private citizens who are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. The National Council members serve staggered six-year terms. The Endowment

756-570: The council after their term's expiration until a successor takes office. Fourteen members of the council constitutes a quorum. The current council members as of September 29, 2024: President Biden has nominated the following to fill seats on the commission. They await Senate confirmation. The NEH has six grant-making divisions and offices: The Office of Challenge Grants, dissolved in 2017, administered grants intended to support capacity building and encourage fundraising in humanities institutions. The Division of Preservation and Access now offers

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792-863: The country. These readings gather individuals from different corners of a single community to share their favorite poems with each other, revealing personal ties to specific poems. With the Boston University School of Education , the project has hosted five week-long summer poetry institutes for educators. Led by Pinsky, the institutes emphasize vocal and personal connections as a starting point for more intense study of poems. Additional faculty have included Frank Bidart , Mark Doty , David Ferry , Louise Glück , Gail Mazur , Heather McHugh and Rosanna Warren . The Favorite Poem Project's archives include original letters, e-mail printouts, and both raw and edited versions of audio and video recordings. The archives are housed by Boston University's Mugar Library, at

828-459: The federal government confers for distinguished intellectual achievement in the humanities." The Jefferson Lecturer is selected each year by the National Council on the Humanities. The honoree delivers a lecture in Washington, D.C., during the spring, and receives an honorarium of $ 10,000. The stated purpose of the honor is to recognize "an individual who has made significant scholarly contributions in

864-567: The fifty Favorite Poem Project videos are kept at the Library of Congress Archive of Recorded Poetry & Literature. Robert Pinsky Pinsky was born in Long Branch, New Jersey , to Jewish parents, Sylvia (née Eisenberg) and Milford Simon Pinsky, an optician. He attended Long Branch High School . He received a B.A. from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey , and earned both an M.A. and PhD from Stanford University , where he

900-405: The graduate writing program at Boston University. Early on, Pinsky was inspired by the flow and tension of jazz and the excitement that it made him feel. As a former saxophonist, he has said that being a musician was a profoundly influential experience that he has tried to reproduce in his poetry. The musicality of poetry was and is extremely important to his work. Additionally, Pinsky revealed in

936-645: The humanities and conveying the lessons of history to all Americans." The NEH was created in 1965 as a sub-agency of the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities , which today also includes the National Endowment for the Arts , the Institute of Museum and Library Services , and the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities . NEH was based upon recommendation of the National Commission on

972-405: The humanities and who has the ability to communicate the knowledge and wisdom of the humanities in a broadly appealing way." The National Humanities Medal, inaugurated in 1997, honors individuals or groups whose work has deepened the nation's understanding of the humanities, broadened citizens' engagement with the humanities, or helped preserve and expand Americans' access to important resources in

1008-457: The humanities, and have established records of distinguished service and scholarship or creativity and in a manner which will provide a comprehensive representation of the views of scholars and professional practitioners in the humanities and of the public throughout the United States. In making these appointments, the President shall give due regard to equitable representation of women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities who are involved in

1044-459: The humanities, and may give consideration to such recommendations as may from time to time be submitted to him by leading national organizations concerned with the humanities. These are appointed to serve terms of six years. The terms are staggered so a number of terms end January 26 every other year. The members are not eligible for reappointment during the two-year period following the expiration of their term. However, they may continue to serve on

1080-593: The humanities. Up to 12 medals can be awarded each year. From 1989 to 1996 the NEH awarded a similar prize known as the Charles Frankel Prize. The new award, a bronze medallion, was designed by David Macaulay, the 1995 winner of the Frankel Prize. Lists of the winners of the National Humanities Medal and the Frankel Prize are available at the NEH website. Starting in 1969, the NEH published

1116-687: The play had a sold-out run, in repertory with Coriolanus . Pinsky also wrote the libretto for Death and the Powers , an opera by composer Tod Machover . The opera received its world premiere in Monte Carlo in September 2010 and its U.S. premiere at Boston's Cutler Majestic Theater in March 2011. Pinsky is also the author of the interactive fiction game Mindwheel (1984) developed by Synapse Software and released by Broderbund . Pinsky guest-starred in an episode of

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1152-410: The poem, he has said, "The poetry I love is vocal, composed with the poet's voice and I believe its proper culmination is to be read with a reader's imagined or actual voice. The human voice in that sense is not electronically reproduced or amplified; it's the actual living breath inside a body—not necessarily an expert's body or the artist's body. Whoever reads the poem aloud becomes the proper medium for

1188-411: The poem." Pinsky observes 'the kind of poetry I write emphasizes the physical qualities of the words' for poetry to Pinsky, is a vocal art, not necessarily performative, but reading to one self or recalling some lines by memory. Pinsky comments 'all language is necessarily abstract' . No aspect of a poem, he observes, is more singular, more unique, than its rhythm, for there are no rules. He received

1224-498: The principles that define America. According to NEH, the initiative led a renaissance in knowledge about American history and principles among all US citizens. The initiative was launched on Constitution Day, September 17, 2002, and active through 2009. Since 1965, the NEH has sponsored many projects, including: Since 1972 the NEH has sponsored the Jefferson Lecture in the Humanities, which it describes as "the highest honor

1260-503: Was a Stegner Fellow in creative writing. He was a student of Francis Fergusson and Paul Fussell at Rutgers and Yvor Winters at Stanford. Pinsky married Ellen Jane Bailey, a clinical psychologist, in 1961. They have three children. Pinsky taught at Wellesley College and at the University of California at Berkeley, and since 1989 has lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts , and teaches in

1296-539: Was confirmed by the Senate in a voice vote on July 9, 2014. Adams appointed Margaret (Peggy) Plympton as the deputy NEH chair in January 2015. Before Adams's appointment, the NEH was headed by Acting Chair Carole M. Watson . Adams resigned his appointment on May 23, 2017, when he cited accomplishments under the "Common Good" initiative and the appointment of new administration officials. Appointed under Donald Trump , from 2018 to 2022, Jon Parrish Peede served as Chair of

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