The Academy of American Poets, a leading publisher of contemporary poetry and funder of poets in the United States, selected Boricua Ricardo Alberto Maldonado to lead the Academy of American Poets as its new Executive Director and President in a history-making appointment.
“We searched for a leader who was not merely seeking a job in poetry, but who was already fully invested in living out the vocation of poetry. As a poet, translator, and arts administrator, Ricardo Maldonado brings to the Academy of American Poets an intense passion for our mission, stellar nonprofit leadership experience, strong project management skills, a commitment to education and community-building, and a depth of knowledge about American poetry from the nineteenth century poets to the cutting-edge voices of today,” said Board Chair Tess O’Dwyer.
Ricardo Maldonado is the first Latino to lead this national academy
Prior, he was the co-director of 92NY’s Unterberg Poetry Center in New York City, where he produced one of the nation’s most prestigious reading series. Among his many contributions, he founded Young Writers Workshop for high school students, Teacher’s Workshops, and residencies for Spanish-speaking poets.
“I believe, to quote the Salvadoran poet Roque Dalton, ‘that poetry, like bread, is for everyone,’” said Maldonado about his appointment. "I am honored to carry forward the organization’s mission of serving readers and supporting poets at all stages of their careers.”
Over the decades, the Academy of American Poets has published a number of famous Puerto Rican poems, including:
Soy Boricua by Giannina Braschi
Puerto Rico by Victor Hernández Cruz
Puerto Rican Obituary by Pedro Pietri
Visit poets.org to read these and thousands of other poems for free.
