Patrick Rosal has been appointed as the Guggenheim New York's poet-in-residence for 2026. He views the role as an opportunity to redefine poetry as a communal experience rather than a solitary one. Rosal, who teaches English at Rutgers University–Camden, has published multiple acclaimed poetry collections and has received various accolades, including the Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Fulbright Research Program.
Read More
Rosal’s work often explores the relationship between words and the physical world, reflecting on human connections alongside an appreciation for nature. His residency will be centered on a project titled The Water Listeners, which aims to engage the public by fostering conversations about water, an element he is deeply connected to. He notes, "For decades now, I've been dreaming of water and storms... and in waking life, on our own street in Rahway, New Jersey, we get floods pretty quickly when big storms hit."
In addition to his poetic works, Rosal intends to encourage the public to interact with poetry through a five-question interview about water, aiming to catalyze discussions that can form the basis for new poetic expressions. He emphasizes the importance of collective memory and interaction, stating, "It's the opportunity for remembering, imagining, and listening, which is what poetry is, in the end."
Rosal's vision also encompasses a transformation of the Guggenheim's physical space, considering its architecture as a vehicle for dialogue. He wishes to use the museum’s fountain, which opens into a spiral of light, as a focal point for integrating poetry into the museum's environment. Rosal aims to demonstrate how poetry can circulate through time and space, much like water, facilitating shared experiences and performances that enhance the sense of community within the museum.
The Guggenheim Poet-in-Residence program was founded in 2021 with the support of Van Cleef & Arpels.