About the Arons Poetry Program
Since 1999, the Florie Gale Arons Poetry Program has brought a distinguished poet to campus for a poetry reading and workshop. The program was established by the daughters of Florie Gale Arons (NC ‘50) in 1999 in honor of their mother’s 70th birthday, and family and friends assure that it continues today in her memory.
Since its founding in 1999, this program has honored the legacy of Florie Gale Arons, a talented poet, writer, and creative force. The program connects our community with powerful voices in poetry. As we reflect on years of literary excellence and inspiration, we also celebrate Mrs. Arons’ enduring legacy through her posthumously published collection, Unspoken Words, which remains a testament to her passion for poetry and her gift with words. Here’s to over 25 years of honoring her memory and fostering a vibrant culture of poetry at Newcomb Institute!
2025 Arons Visiting Poet: Patricia Smith
Patricia Smith will be the 2025 Arons Visiting Poet
Monday, November 3rd 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Tulane University, Uptown Campus
Diboll Gallery, Malkin Sacks Commons
Patricia Smith is an award-winning poet, teacher, performance artist and the author of The Intentions of Thunder: New and Selected Poems. Smith is also the author of nine other
acclaimed collections, including Incendiary Art, winner of the 2018 Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award and the 2017 Los Angeles Times Book Award in Poetry. Her work has been widely anthologized, including in The 1619 Project, and she has also edited and co-authored works of fiction, history, and children’s literature. Smith is the winner of the Poetry Foundation’s Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize for Lifetime Achievement, the Aiken Taylor Award for Modern American Poetry, and two Pushcart Prizes. She is a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets, and a professor of creative writing at the College of Staten Island (CUNY) and Princeton University.
- Ada Limón
- Franny Choi
- Kiki Petrosino
- Khadijah Queen
- Layli Long Soldier
- Morgan Parker
- Anne Boyer
- Laura Mullen
- Jennifer Grotz
- Julia Spicher Kasdorf
- Tracy K. Smith
- Mary Jo Bang
- Sharon Olds
- Marie Howe
- Brenda Hillman
- C.D. Wright
- Nicole Cooley
- Kimiko Hahn
- Alice Notley
- Toi Derricotte
- Natasha Trethewey
- Denise Duhamel
- Colette Inez
- Carole Simmons Oles
- Maxine Kumin
- Kate Daniels
