The Word Works is a literary organization based in

Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

. The press was founded in 1974 and has published works by

Frannie Lindsay Frannie Lindsay is an American poet. She is author of three poetry collections, most recently, ''The Snow's Wife'' (Cavankerry Press, 2020). Her honors include fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Massachusetts Cultural Council ...

, Fred Marchant, Jay Rogoff,

Grace Cavalieri Grace Cavalieri is an American poet, playwright, and radio host of the Library of Congress program ''The Poet and the Poem''. In 2019, she was appointed the tenth Poet Laureate of Maryland. Education * BS - Education: English and History, The ...

Donna Denizé Donna Denizé is an American poet and award-winning teacher at St. Albans School (Washington, D.C.), St. Albans School, located in Washington, D.C. Ms. Denize is currently Chairwoman of the English Department. She has contributed widely to journals ...

Christopher Bursk Christopher Bursk (1943 – June 21, 2021)was an American poet, professor and activist. He is the author of nine poetry collections, including ''The First Inhabitants of Arcadia'' published by the (University of Arkansas Press (2006)), praised by ...

, and

Enid Shomer Enid Shomer is an American poet and fiction writer. She is the author of five poetry collections, two short story collections and a novel. Her poems have appeared in literary journals and magazines including ''The Atlantic Monthly, Poetry, Paris R ...

and is a member of the

Council of Literary Magazines and Presses The Community of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP) is an American organization of independent literary publishers and magazines. It was founded in 1967 by Robie Macauley, Reed Whittemore (''The Carleton Miscellany,'' '' The New Republic''); ...

. The Word Works features contemporary poetry and literature, often written by emerging poets.Preliminary Guide to the Word Works, Inc. Records, 1971-2013
Special Collections Research Center, Estelle and Melvin Gelman Library, The George Washington University The Word Works titles have been reviewed by

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

The Rumpus ''The Rumpus'' is an online literary magazine launched on January 20, 2009. The site features interviews, book reviews, essays, comics, and critiques of creative culture as well as original fiction and poetry. The site runs two subscription-base ...

, ''The Common,'' Lambda Literary, and other venues; and distributed by

Small Press Distribution Small Press Distribution (SPD) is a non-profit literary arts organization located in Berkeley, California. As their name indicates, the core of their mission is to act as an umbrella distributor and marketer for hundreds of smaller literary publi ...

Ingram Content Group Ingram Content Group is an American service provider to the book publishing industry, based in La Vergne, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Ingram Industries. Shawn Morin is CEO, and John R. Ingram is chairman of Ingram Industries. History T ...

Baker & Taylor Baker & Taylor, a distributor of books to public and academic libraries and schools, has been in business for over 190 years. It is based in Charlotte, North Carolina and currently owned by President & CEO Amandeep Kochar. Before being acquired ...

.Small Press Distribution , The Word Works
/ref> A non-profit organization completely run by volunteers, Word Works was originally funded through frequent grants received from the National Endowment for the Arts. These grants were supplemented through private donations and revenue from book sales. Word Works has also received grants from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, the Witter Bynner Foundation, the Maryland Council on the Arts, the Virginia Commission on the Arts, the Batir Foundation, and Hechingers.
/ref> Since 1981, the press has overseen a yearly literary competition awarding the $1,500 Washington Prize for a winning poetry manuscript. The organization has also hosted the longest running literary series in the Washington area through their Joaquin Miller Cabin series at the

Joaquin Miller Cabin The Joaquin Miller Cabin is an historic structure situated in Washington, DC's Rock Creek Park. Built by the American poet, essayist and fabulist Joaquin Miller, it represents the only known example of late 19th century Rustic-style log cabin ...

Rock Creek Park Rock Creek Park is a large urban park that bisects the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C. The park was created by an Act of Congress in 1890 and today is administered by the National Park Service. In addition to the park proper, the Rock Cr ...

. The Word Works has several book imprints, including the Washington Prize, the Hilary Tham Capital Collection, and International Editions. From 1996 to 2003, the organization held arts retreats in Tuscany, Italy. The organization's archives are housed at the Special Collections Research Center in the Estelle and Melvin

Gelman Library The Estelle and Melvin Gelman Library, more commonly known as Gelman Library, is the main library of The George Washington University, and is located on its Foggy Bottom campus. The Gelman Library, the Eckles Library on the Mount Vernon campus ...

at The

George Washington University , mottoeng = "God is Our Trust" , established = , type = Private federally chartered research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.8 billion (2022) , presi ...

References

External links

The Best Free Literary Contests , Insights from Editors and Judges , ''Nancy White, Administrator of the Word Works Washington Prize''Word Works Press WebsiteMetamorphosis Literary AgencyDirectory Listing: ''Poets & Writers'' > Small Presses > The Word WorksPreliminary Guide to the Word Works, Inc. Records, 1971-2013, Special Collections Research Center, Estelle and Melvin Gelman Library, The George Washington University
{{authority control Book publishing companies of the United States Culture of Washington, D.C. Non-profit organizations based in Washington, D.C. Publishing companies established in 1974 1974 establishments in Washington, D.C.