About

Iconic: The Anthology of Erie Poets is an annual poetry anthology featuring the work of poets located or with roots in Erie, Pennsylvania.

In a meeting of NWPA poetry, former Erie Poet Laureate Chuck Joy posed the following question: What are the iconic Erie, PA poems? This is a valid question in many ways. Should this be an anthology of poems detailing the historical monuments and tall ships, maybe even an ode to Oliver Hazard Perry himself? Or do we focus on the industrial skeleton that runs down 12th Street? Perhaps, this could be a collection that meditates on the natural beauty of Presque Isle. Is it even possible to define a place with such varied aesthetics through the practice and art of poetry? That is the central idea of this project, and it is Chuck’s question that gives this anthology its name.

A collaboration between the Gannon University English Department and NWPA Poetry, the anthology highlights the iconic people and vibrant poetic textures that weave between lake effect snow; stark, industrial spaces; and brilliant, summertime waves.

In doing so, it develops a canon of contemporary and historical Erie-based poets and brings out the the history of Erie, its culture, its natural wonder, and its optimistic future. It is a collaboration that unites voices across the local, cultural spectrum and breathes life into iconic representations of our high-spirited, lakefront community.

If you have any questions, please contact Clayton Bradshaw-Mittal at bradshaw013@gannon.edu.