News
Cave Canem Welcomes Dawn Lundy Martin and Janet Sarbaugh to Board of Directors
Cave Canem has invited two exciting new members, including poet, essayist, and Cave Canem Fellow Dawn Lundy Martin (1998) and Janet Sarbaugh, former Vice President, Creativity Programs at The Heinz Endowments, to their Board.
Meet the 2024 Fellows & Faculty Fund Project Grantees
We’re happy to announce recipients of our 2024 Fellows & Faculty Fund!
Meredith Nnoka Wins the 2022 Toi Derricotte & Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize
We are honored to announce that Herman Beavers has selected Meredith Nnoka as the winner of the 2022 Toi Derricotte and Cornelius Eady Cave Canem Chapbook Prize.
Archives
Collections of Black poetry organizations are essential for preserving the rich literary heritage of Black writers, promoting inclusivity, and fostering a deeper understanding of Black history and culture. By making these collections accessible to the public, we ensure that the voices of Black poets continue to resonate for generations to come.
The Cave Canem Foundation Records
The Cave Canem Foundation Records
The Cave Canem Foundation Records is a comprehensive collection documenting the history and impact of the organization, its fellows, faculty, co-founders, and staff. Housed primarily at Yale’s Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, the archives preserve Cave Canem’s organizational records that include oral histories, manuscripts, poems, videos, photographs, and ephemera. The archives at Beinecke also chronicle the organization’s workshops, community engagement, and operational history.
Situated within the renowned James Weldon Johnson Collection, the Cave Canem Foundation Records join a legacy of preserving and celebrating African American history and culture. This collection, with its over 13,000 volumes and extensive manuscript holdings, is a cornerstone of the Beneicke and a vital resource for scholars and the public alike.
The Cave Canem
Digital Collections
The Cave Canem Digital Collections
Established in 2024, the Cave Canem Digital Collections represent a growing repository of digitized and born-digital materials that reflect the organization’s programmatic and operational history, and our community of Cave Canem Fellows and their respective works. Our collection includes oral histories, audiovisual materials, photographs, manuscript collections, artifacts, and ephemera. New items are added as collections are processed.
Items that are in the public domain or for which we have permission from the copyright holder are freely available for viewing on our digital collections platform. However, some items may have limited access due to donor restrictions, copyright status, or privacy considerations. These items are described online and can be requested pending permission. By preserving and sharing these materials, we aim to celebrate the diverse voices of Black poets and contribute to a more equitable and inclusive literary landscape.
Blog
This Juneteenth, Celebrate the Resilience of Black Literary Arts Organizations
As we commemorate Juneteenth, we celebrate the resilience of Black literary organizations whose legacies provide essential support to the community.
The Future of Black Poets and Poetry: Cave Canem’s New Vision and Mission
On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff, we are pleased to share with you Cave Canem’s new guiding principles.
