In its history, the poetry center has published more than 150 titles,[4] including works by David Baker, Scott Cairns, Jared Carter, Chrystos, Martha Collins, Emily Kendal Frey, David Graham, Richard Hague, Mark Jarman, Claudia Keelan, David Kirby, Thomas Lux, Thylias Moss, Amy Newman, Mwatabu S. Okantah, Carol Potter, Claudia Rankine, Tim Seibles, Larry R. Smith, Judith Vollmer, Jeanne Murray Walker, Sam Witt, and Franz Wright.
Recent judges for the First Book Competition have included the poets Rae Armantrout, Nick Flynn, Matthea Harvey, and D. A. Powell.
From 2008 to 2013, the Open Competition has been juried by a panel consisting of poets Kazim Ali, Mary Biddinger, Michael Dumanis, and Sarah Gridley.
Recent and forthcoming publications include books by[6] Samuel Amadon, Oliver Baez Bendorf, John Bradley, Lily Brown, Elyse Fenton, Emily Kendal Frey, Lizzie Harris, Rebecca Hazelton, Rebecca Gayle Howell, Chloe Honum, Dora Malech, Shane McCrae, Helena Mesa, Philip Metres, Zach Savich, Sandra Simonds, S.E.
Poetry Center author Elyse Fenton won the 2010 University of Wales Dylan Thomas Prize for her collection Clamor.