The year in African American poetry, 2014

This past year, I charted several news, activities, and publishing items related to African American poetry that caught my attention. Of course, the passing of Amiri Baraka and Maya Angelou really stood out in my mind. Still, I noted various other topics. 

• January: Amiri Baraka dies on the 9th. His passing was followed by an outpouring of remembrances. 

• January: How I Discovered Poetry by Marilyn Nelson is published.

• February: SOS--Calling All Black People: A Black Arts Movement Reader edited by John H. Bracey Jr., Sonia Sanchez, and James Smethurst is published.

• March: Book of Hours: Poems by Kevin Young is published.

• March: Patter by Douglas Kearney is published.

• April: The Feel Trio by Fred Moten is published.

• May: Mother, Less Child by Jason McCall

• May: Maya Angelou dies on the 28th.

• June:  Prime: Poetry & Conversation by L. Lamar Wilson, Rickey Laurentiis, Darrel Alejandro Holnes, Saeed Jones, and Phillip B. Williams is published.

• September: Prelude to Bruise by Saeed Jones is published.

• September: Zion by TJ Jarrett is published.

• September: The New Testament by Jericho Brown is published.

• September: Terrance Hayes awarded MacArthur Fellowship award.

• September: Adrian Matejka receives Anisfield-Wolf Book Prize for The Big Smoke.

• September: Third Furious Flower Poetry conference, organized by Joanne Gabbin, takes place 24 - 27.

• October: Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine is published.

• October: Claudia Rankine, Adrian Matejka, and Jamaal May receive Lannan Literary Awards.

• November: Mockingbirds at Jerusalem: A Poetic Memoir by Rudolph Lewis is published.

• November: Poets use the hashtag #BlackPoetsSpeakOut and give readings of their work on social media on in solidarity with movements protesting police brutality cases.

• December Black Gold: An Anthology of Black Poetry edited by Ja A. Jahannes is published.

Related:
• The year in African American poetry, 2013
• The year in African American poetry, 2012 
• The year in African American poetry, 2011