The group of poets are past winners of either the Ohio Chapbook Prize, sponsored by the ѿappUniversity Press and the Wick Center, or the Stan and Tom Wick Poetry Prize.
The celebration, Sept. 19-21, was packed with panel discussions, workshops and poetry readings, culminating in a gala dinner on Saturday, Sept. 21.
Among those returning was poet Maggie Anderson, founding director of the Wick program, which has provided a platform for creative voices across the globe in its 40 years.
“Our 40th celebration will be a testament to the ongoing mission of the Wick Poetry Center to encourage new voices and to bring poetry to the most urgent and evolving needs of our communities through readings, workshops, panels, interactive exhibits and digital platforms,” Hassler said. “It will also be a joyous homecoming for so many of our past Wick authors, scholarship winners, student interns, community members and the Wick family.”
As a special feature, no one was denied entry to the celebration due to inability to pay.
Registration for the three-day event was offered on a pay-what-you-can scale, allowing attendees to contribute according to their means. At registration, there was an option for those who could afford it, to make an extra donation to “pay it forward,” to help cover the costs of those who cannot pay the full price.
“For four decades, the Wick Poetry Center has been dedicated to fostering a welcoming community through free and accessible readings and events,” Hassler said. “Having people be able to take part is our top priority, and we've taken special measures to ensure everyone can join in our anniversary celebration.”
The event focused on the themes of Poetry and Healing, Poetry and Science, Poetry and Peace and Poetry and Social Justice, and featured a star-studded lineup of poets.
Wick History
Brothers Bob and Walt Wick first established scholarships in 1984 to support undergraduate poets at the university. Bob was a sculptor and former art department faculty member at Kent State, and the scholarships were born out of a desire to honor and memorialize Bob’s son Stan (1962-1980) and Walt’s son Tom (1956-1973), both of whom died as teenagers on the same day, seven years apart.
Over the next 20 years, the scholarships expanded into the Wick Poetry Program, which steadily increased its presence on the Kent Campus and involvement within the community. In 2004, the Wick Poetry Program was officially named the Wick Poetry Center, and in 2009, its popular Traveling Stanzas debuted as a collaboration between the center and ѿappvisual communication design students.
In 2014, the Wick Poetry Center renovated a residence that once belonged to May H. Prentice, the first female faculty member of Kent State. The location for the center was recently renamed the Gaston Prentice House, in recognition of the generous donations by Paul Gaston, Ph.D., former ѿappprovost and Trustees Professor Emeritus, and his wife Eileen, to the Wick Poetry Center over many years.
In this new location, the center also created the Maj Ragain Poetry Park, a peaceful space in the heart of the Lefton Esplanade, featuring the Edwin S. Gould Amphitheatre, “Seated Earth” bronze sculpture by Bob Wick, and the Joan and Ron Burbick Outdoor Gallery.
Lasting Legacy of Generosity
Although the Wick brothers have both passed away, the Wick family continues to support the center. A recent gift of $1 million brings the family’s total lifetime commitment to ѿappto more than $3.5 million.
Chris Wick, son of Walt, pledged the donation in November 2023, acting as a representative for his family. The gift created an endowed position for the executive director of the center to maintain the kind of visionary, innovative leadership that has led to the center’s elevated national profile and highly regarded status and will memorialize the brothers’ tremendous efforts to bring the power of poetry to the larger community.
Over the years, Hassler said the Wick brothers and their family members have repeatedly told him that the joy they have received from watching the center grow and expand has far exceeded the amount of money they have donated for it and has given meaning to the untimely deaths of their sons.
“They felt the value of what they received back in the spirit of the program is far greater than any dollar amount they ever gave to Kent State,” Hassler said.
Hassler followed Anderson as the second director of the center in 2009, after working with her for five years developing and leading the outreach programs for Wick. Over the past 20 years, he has helped the program secure a national presence with efforts such as its Poets for Science exhibition at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C., the Global Peace Poem in honor of the 50th anniversary of the ѿappMay 4 shootings, the Freedom Story exhibition for the dedication of the Now and Forever Windows at the Washington National Cathedral, and many other initiatives, including “Dear Vaccine,” a global poem that spoke to the hope that sprung from the introduction of the COVID-19 vaccine. “Dear Vaccine,” has garnered national media coverage and attention and was turned into a book and stage performance.
“Thanks to the original vision and generosity of Bob and Walt Wick, and now Chris Wick, our center will continue to grow, transforming the lives of students and community members, locally and nationally, welcoming all into the ever-expanding Wick family of poets,” Hassler said. “I am most proud of how, through the passion, skill and dedication of our staff and student interns, the center continues to innovate new ways to bring poetry to everyday lives.”
