Zoeglossia to Expand

Thanks to Mellon Foundation

An organization for poets with disabilities will have the opportunity to create more programming thanks to a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Zoeglossia recently announced the $25,000 award for expansion at their September board meeting.

“Zoeglossia will use the grant to offer professional support and increase the profile of poets with disabilities in recognition that writers with disabilities are still grossly underfunded and underrepresented in our national literary landscape,” said Sheila Black, co-founder of Zoeglossia.

Founded by poets Connie Voisine, Sheila Black, and Jennifer Bartlett, Zoeglossia is an emerging literary organization that dedicates itself to providing inclusive space for poets who identify as disabled. Through an open and supportive community, year-round, online programming and annual retreats, Zoeglossia offers poets mentorship from prominent, established writers, who also have disabilities.

“As an all-volunteer non-profit organization, we’re grateful for the donation,” said Connie Voisine, Zoeglossia co-founder and Professor of English at New Mexico State University. “This expansion is a big step for us.”

Zoeglossia is one of 282 nonprofit literary arts organizations, magazines, and presses across the nation to recently receive part of $3,530,000 million in emergency funding from The Literary Arts Emergency Fund, a fund that was made possible by a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

“We are hugely grateful to receive this grant and want to express our gratitude to The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Academy of American Poets, CLMP, the National Book Foundation for advocating for funding for community-centered literary arts organizations at this critical time,” Black said.

For more information about Zoeglossia, and how you can help, visit their website at http://www.zoeglossia.org/.