Century-Old Poetry Society of America Finds Fulfillment Online

You may not be able to teach an old dog new tricks, but poets have no trouble learning new things. There's no better example than the New York-based Poetry Society of America, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. The PSA has long been a great supporter of poems and poets across the country, and in the past few years it has embraced the online world wholeheartedly.
Here's its mission:

The Poetry Society of America, the nation's oldest poetry organization, was founded in 1910 for the purpose of creating a public forum for the advancement, enjoyment, and understanding of poetry. Through a diverse array of programs, initiatives, contests, and awards, the Poetry Society of America works to build a larger audience for poetry, to encourage a deeper appreciation of the art, and to place poetry at the crossroads of American life.

That last phrase, 'crossroads of American life,' is an especially apt one for describing what the PSA has accomplished in the past century. Now that this crossroads has moved into the virtual space, the PSA has moved there too. Take a look at their incredibly clean and well-organized website:

The website is full of information, events, and reviews, but the site itself doesn't overwhelm the message. It is intellectual while still retaining a little lightheartedness. I can't stop smiling each time I see the bear silhouette from that screenshot.

Their relaxed, well-balanced style has transitioned well to the PSA's excellent Twitter account, which has just been recently nominated for a Shorty Award in the 'cultural institution' category. We encourage you to vote for them here. It's not all the time that an institution as old and well-respected as the Poetry Society of America truly captures how to interact effectively online. For that they deserved to be recognized and commended.