Poets as Public Scholars:
Activist Poets in an Age of Social Media

Poets as Public Scholars, authored by CR Grimmer and collaborators, is a peer-reviewed, multimedia, open-access book that explores the intersections of activist poetry with public scholarship, digital humanities, and social media platforms. This innovative volume explores how poets utilize digital tools to expand their reach and foster inclusive, critical dialogue in both educational and public contexts.

 

Structured as a hybrid collection of seven video interviews and seven critical essays, the book features dynamic discussions with poets and scholars including Camea Davis, AD Carson, Tyrone Williams, Patrick Milian, Stevi Costa, Cameron Awkward-Rich, and Woogee Bae. Each chapter is paired with curated discussion questions designed to support use in classrooms and workshops, making it a valuable resource for teachers, students, and researchers alike.

 

Two guiding questions frame the project:

 

1. What can poets teach us about public scholarship in the digital age?

2. How can we amplify the online presence of historically underrepresented poets while remaining vigilant about the risks of commodification and cultural erasure?

 

Each chapter employs distinct formats and methodologies tailored to its respective audience. The video segments, modeled on YouTube-style interviews, are accessible for public and student viewers, while the companion essays situate the conversations within the scholarly fields of literature, cultural studies, and media studies. Together, they provide a blueprint for integrating poetry, pedagogy, and activism across digital platforms.

 

Whether you’re a literature professor, a digital humanities researcher, a poet, an activist, or an educator seeking classroom materials on public scholarship, Poets as Public Scholars  offers a forward-thinking model for using digital tools to democratize literary engagement and support marginalized voices.