25. Are too many people writing poetry?

We are in the midst of a poetry renaissance. There are many signs of the poetry revival in our midst. Hundreds of small poetry presses. Reading series in local communities.Def Poetry Jam and Brave New Voices on HBO. The proliferation of MFA programs at universities. Robin Becker reports that when she began attending AWP (the annual conference of writers sponsored by the professional writers‘ association), about a thousand people attended each year; in 2014, over 11,000 people attended.

A variety of people and organizations support the appreciation and revelry surround poetry. Each April, the Academy of American Poets sponsors National Poetry Month, an initiative that highlights poetry and poets. Increasingly, the Poetry Foundation, publishers of Poetry, offers and sponsors a variety of poetry programs, through the munificence of Ruth Lilly, contributing to a greater public profile for poetry. Generous legacies from a handful of donors like Lilly support poetry as a cultural project. More importantly, poets around our country share their passion and commitment for poetry in daily, local ways. I salute the national and local organizations and the poets that facilitate this renaissance and make poetry a vibrant part of our culture. In many ways, there is not a better moment to be a poet and love poetry.

Yet, I want to ask a provocative question: are too many people writing poetry? / Julie R. Enszer, Huffington Post