The Cleveland State University Poetry Center was established in 1962 at the former Fenn College of Engineering to promote poetry through readings and community outreach. In 1971, it expanded its mission to become a national non-profit independent press under the auspices of the Cleveland State University Department of English, and has since published nearly 200 rangy, joyful, profound, astonishing, complicated, surprising, and aesthetically diverse collections of contemporary poetry and prose by established and emerging authors. The CSU Poetry Center publishes between three and five collections of contemporary poetry and prose a year, with a national distribution and reach. The Poetry Center currently acquires manuscripts through three annual contests (one dedicated to publishing and promoting first books of poetry, one to supporting an established poet’s career, and one to publishing collections of literary essays). In addition to publishing, the Poetry Center actively promotes contemporary poetry and prose through an annual reading series, collaborative art events, participation in national writing conferences, and as an educational resource for CSU’s undergraduate, M.A., and M.F.A. students by providing assistantship and internship opportunities as well as involving students in the editorial and production aspects of literary publishing.