Newly Unearthed Poem by Phillis Wheatley (Peters) and the Future of the Wheatley Canon

Join us for the first event of a yearlong celebration marking the 250th publication anniversary of Poems on Various Subjects by Phillis Wheatley, who is considered the first African American author of a published book of poetry. In this exciting presentation, Dr. Wendy Roberts will share a newly discovered poem written by Wheatley–found right here in Philadelphia. Roberts will share how she was able to identify the poem and will explore what this newly unearthed poem means for Wheatley scholarship.

Dr. Wendy Raphael Roberts is Associate Professor of English at The University at Albany, SUNY, and a 2022–23 short-term fellow in the Library Company’s Program in African American History.