Applications are now open for
the 2026 Poetry Gauntlet!
the 2026 Poetry Gauntlet!
Created by Christopher McCurry, The Poetry Gauntlet is an intense one-year workshop for poets. Led by poet Sean L. Corbin, up to 12 participants will work collaboratively during the 2026 calendar year to draft 100 new poems. Each month, the group will read and discuss a poetry book. Everyone who completes The Gauntlet will receive a Gauntlet challenge coin and be invited to share their work at a reading.
The Gauntlet is open to writers (16 years old and up) of all experience levels. The next Gauntlet year runs from January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2026
PROGRAM INFORMATION
Gauntlet participants receive:
• 12 generative workshops; you will meet with Sean Corbin and a community of working writers for 3.5 hours one Saturday a month for one year
• 12 books of poetry and essays on the craft of poetry
• Personal support and accountability as you write 100 poems over the course of the year
• Detailed feedback from Sean L. Corbin on a selection (approx. 10 poems) of your works in progress
• Access to two free Carnegie Center classes per season (6 total free courses; some restrictions apply)
• The opportunity to meet and learn from local established poets who visit during some Saturday workshops
• The opportunity to pitch your manuscript in progress to Accents Publishing and Workhorse
• An invitation to read your work publicly at the end of your Gauntlet year and at annual Gauntlet Reunions
• A challenge coin that you’ll receive upon successful completion of your Gauntlet year.
Tuition: $1,750. *Ask about financial assistance if needed.
Important dates: Applications are due on November 30 and participants will be notified by December 15. A nonrefundable deposit of $600 will be due by January 10. $575 will be due on March 31. The remaining $575 will be due on June 30. Saturday workshop dates will be announced this fall.
Questions about the program? Contact Poetry Gauntlet Coordinator Sean L. Corbin at poetrygauntlet@carnegiecenterlex.org or Carnegie Center Program Director Z Valentine at zjackson@carnegiecenterlex.org.
SCHOLARSHIPS
The James Baker Hall Foundation Scholarship ($1,500): Through the support of the James Baker Hall Foundation, the Carnegie Center has one $1,500 scholarship for the 2026 Poetry Gauntlet. This scholarship will be awarded to a writer who would have otherwise been excluded due to financial reasons. The late Kentucky Poet Laureate James Baker Hall (1935-2009), a national award-winning poet and writer, was a much-beloved writing instructor at the University of Kentucky who taught, encouraged, and inspired thousands of emerging poets and writers.
Questions about scholarships? Contact Carnegie Center Program Director Z Valentine at zjackson@carnegiecenterlex.org.
Meet the Poetry Gauntlet Coordinator
Sean L Corbin is the author of THE LEPER DREAMS OF SNOW (Finishing Line, 2018), and is a graduate of Morehead State University, as well as the University of Kentucky’s Creative Writing MFA program. He is a long-time writing instructor at the Carnegie Center, and his work has been published widely. He also works in medical simulation. For the Poetry Gauntlet’s future, Sean hopes to continue its rich tradition of loving, rigorous poetry instruction, artistic expression, and community-building.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the challenge coin?
The challenge coin is exactly that—a coin given as a token of the challenge you’ve completed at the end of the Gauntlet. Carry it in your wallet, wear it as a necklace, display it on your shelf. In the same way that people are celebrated for publishing, we want to celebrate people who are actively writing and reading.
Is there a scholarship?
Through the support of the James Baker Hall Foundation, the Carnegie Center has one $1,500 scholarship for the 2026 Poetry Gauntlet. This scholarship will be awarded to a writer who would have otherwise been excluded due to financial reasons. The late Kentucky Poet Laureate James Baker Hall (1935–2009), a national award-winning poet and writer, was a much-beloved writing instructor at the University of Kentucky who taught, encouraged, and inspired thousands of emerging poets and writers.
What if I’m nervous?
Don’t be! Poetry Gauntlet is about supporting your work as a poet, no matter how your poetry journey looks so far. We like writing, and we want to encourage you to do it more. That’s all.
