Toi Derricotte Chair in African American Poetry

The Writing Program in the Department of English at the University of Pittsburgh invites applications for a tenured Associate or Full Professor in African American and/or African diasporic poetry who will also direct the Center for African American Poetry and Poetics (CAAPP: caapp.pitt.edu) to begin in the fall semester of 2024, pending budgetary approval.

The successful candidate will participate actively in one of the oldest and most established Writing Programs in the country. This position will include both undergraduate and graduate courses; contribute to interdisciplinarity and aesthetic diversity, and support our students’ interests in publishing, multi-genre writing, and spoken-word poetry or performance. Strong candidates might also work in translation, practice and theorize digital/visual/sonic/performance poetics, and/or bring scholarly or archival research into their poetry. They should be committed to engaged learning practices, and have experience mentoring students from diverse backgrounds, including students of color, LGBTQ+ students, first-generation college students, and students with disabilities. As the Director of the Center for African American Poetry and Poetics, the successful candidate will exercise conceptual, administrative, academic, and fiscal oversight over the Center. This includes curating, supervising staff, grant writing, continuing to build relationships and co-programming with the Center’s university and community partners. In collaboration with the Managing Director, the Director will oversee the day-to-day business operations of the Center, helping to conceptualize and operationalize new frames for understanding how poetry interacts with other art forms and creative and scholarly disciplines.

Applicants must hold an MFA or Ph.D. in English, Creative Writing, or a related field, and must demonstrate a record of substantial (typically at least two books) publication with trade, university, and/or distinguished small presses; evidence of excellent teaching and commitment to undergraduate and graduate courses; evidence of institutional and professional engagement, and evidence of their commitment to diversity and inclusion in their pedagogy and practices. Salary for the position and terms of appointment will be competitive and commensurate with experience. University positions are subject to final budgetary approval by the Dean.

Applications must include the following and should be submitted through the University's Talent Center system:

• Cover Letter
• Curriculum Vitae
• Writing Sample
• Diversity Statement
• Names and contact information for three references

In order to receive full consideration, applications must be received by November 1, 2023.

Please contact Lauren Morrison, Department of English, 526 Cathedral of Learning, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, with any questions: engchair@pitt.edu