Ruth Lilly, the only living heir of the Eli Lilly fortune pledged $100 million (have heard $200,000 million also) in 2002 to the Poetry Foundation to publish Poetry Magazine and more. She also provided that every year one poet receive the Lilly award which is $100,000! Linking to the New York Times article from 2007 which reveals the lack of appreciation some have shown for this amazing bequest.
(I can't think of any other philanthropist who gives/gave a rats ass for poets or poetry. It's difficult to get a free space to run a nonprofit writing group as is.)
(IS THIS ATTITUDE ONE MORE EXAMPLE OF THE NOTORIOUS POETS' DEVOTION TO BELOVED POVERTY? Aren't some of us a bit tired of the notion that poverty is always honorable or the natural state of poets and poetry? I used to know people who posed that they were poor to be accepted in certain Los Angeles poetry circles!)
I'll be linking to more about LILLY scholarships, awards, and so on...)
