Cave Canem

Cave Canem Foundation, Inc. at the NYC Tenth Anniversary Reunion (Photo: Mignonette E. Dooley)

Cave Canem Foundation, Inc. is a workshop/home for African American poetry.  Founded in 1996 by poets Toi Derricotte and Cornelius Eady, Cave Canem offers an annual writing retreat where emerging poets may take risks in a nurturing yet demanding environment.

I owe a great deal to Cave Canem.  I first applied for a Cave Canem fellowship in 1999 and was not successful.  It stung a bit.  I spent the following year working on my novel and taking poetry workshops at The World Stage in Los Angeles, California.  When I applied again in 2000, I was accepted.  I participated in the Cave Canem workshops for three consecutive years--2000, 2001, and 2002.  By then,  I had made the decision to continue my literary studies in a full-time MFA program.

My experiences in the Cave Canem workshops enabled me to recognize the value and impact that my poetry could have on a reader.  I learned how much responsibility comes along with privilege.  I made the commitment to do my homework, because all of my mentors and teachers paid dearly for the opportunity for me to have this chance.