The Worcester County Poetry Association is a 501(c)(3) organization funded through membership fees, publication sales, grants and donations. WCPA receives organizational support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and has received generous programming support from the National Endowment for the Arts, Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities, Greater Worcester Community Foundation, Worcester Cultural Commission, and Massachusetts Cultural Council, among other organizations and private donors.
WCPA appreciates the continued support of members and donors. Click here to learn more about membership and or to make a donation to sustain The Worcester Review and other WCPA programming.
Our Mission
A half-century ago, the Worcester County Poetry Association (WCPA) was founded in 1971 by Dr. Samuel Bachrach and Professor Michael True and incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1972. With over fifty years of service to poetry, it remains one of the longest-running non-profit poetry organizations in the United States.
The mission of the Worcester County Poetry Association is to:
- Celebrate the rich literary history and creative energy of Central Massachusetts through public readings, workshops, festivals, scholarly conferences, and other programs.
- Publish the literary journal The Worcester Review.
- Collaborate with libraries, bookstores, colleges and universities, museums, churches, schools, community centers, businesses, and cultural organizations to promote poetry events.
Meetings
The WCPA Board meets on the second Wednesday of each month at the Association offices in the Salisbury House, 61 Harvard St., Worcester, Mass. Meetings are open to all members and to the public. We welcome newcomers and encourage you to attend and become involved.
Executive Committee
President: Elizabeth Bacon
Vice Presidents, Programming: Joseph Fusco, Jr.
Treasurer: Mary Driscoll
Secretary: Linda Warren
Managing Editor, The Worcester Review: Phil Lemos
Clemente Course in the Humanities: Elizabeth Bacon
Worcester Clemente Course in the Humanities Partnership
In 2019, the Worcester County Poetry Association became the Fiscal Agent to the Worcester branch of The Bard College Clemente Course in the Humanities. This collaboration allows both organizations to join forces in promoting the transformative power of the arts and humanities in our community. Several WCPA Board members hold leadership positions in the Worcester Clemente Course in the Humanities: Elizabeth Bacon (Worcester Clemente Course Community Coordinator), Rodger Martin (Worcester Clemente Course Advisory Board), and Therese Carr (Worcester Clemente Course Advisory Board Chair).
For more information on the Worcester Clemente Course in the Humanities and the national Clemente Course, click here.
Project Contacts
Frank O’Hara Poetry Contest – JJ Fields
Bishop/Knight College Poetry Competition – VACANT
Gregory Stockmal Reading – Susan Roney-O’Brien, Coordinator
Bloomsday Committee – Jay Lavelle & Robert Steele
Membership Manager – Ann Lewis
Stanley Kunitz Award Committee – Mark Wagner
Rain Poetry Committee – Katherine Gregoire
Mapping Worcester in Poetry – Beth Sweeney & Katherine Gregoire
Program Committee – Joe Fusco Jr., chair
Communications Committee – Linda Warren, Rob Baker, and Brett Iarrobino
Clemente Course in the Humanities – Elizabeth Bacon
Financial Oversight Committee – Mary Driscoll, Rodger Martin, and David Thoreen