Parisi Leaves Poetry Foundation
by Calvin Reid -- Publishers Weekly, 9/8/2003
What a difference a summer and a $100-million windfall can make. Joseph Parisi, longtime editor of Poetry magazine, has resigned, barely three months after being promoted to executive director of publications and programming at the Modern Poetry Association, which has reorganized itself as the Poetry Foundation after receiving a $100-million donation.
In June, flush with its $100-million bequest from pharmaceutical heiress Ruth Lilly, the Modern Poetry Association announced its change to the Poetry Foundation. At the same time, the foundation announced executive promotions for Parisi, longtime editor of Poetry, and also named poet and professor Christian Wiman to succeed Parisi as editor of the magazine.
Wiman told PW that despite his promotion, Parisi later decided "he wanted to pursue book projects. We're sorry to lose him but there were other things he wanted do. He's still a consultant to the foundation and he also has a fellowship to Cambridge University." Wiman said the foundation was now searching for a president.
