After twenty years of serving as President of Cave Canem’s Board of Directors, Toi Derricotte will step down at the end of this month. She will continue to serve on the board as a director, and a new president will assume the role in early October.

Derricotte is the author of five collections of poetry, and her literary memoir, The Black Notebooks, received the 1998 Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for Nonfiction and was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. Her collection of poems, Tender, received the 1998 Paterson Poetry Prize.

“I feel more complete than ever about Cave Canem and myself,” Derricotte said of her resignation. “My moving on is an opportunity for other ideas and energy to come forth.... Langston Hughes said we have to build our own institutions. And we’ve done that. I’m so grateful for my part in this journey.”

In honor of her service, Cave Canem has established the Toi Derricotte Tribute Fund to “perpetuate her vision of building an enduring ‘home for Black poetry.’” Donations to the fund will help Cave Canem provide tuition and room-and-board scholarships to future Cave Canem fellows attending residencies, workshops, or retreats hosted by Cave Canem.

You can contribute to the fund at this website.

Photo credit: Linda Koolish