Robinson Jeffers Tor House Foundation

05/11/2026

The winners of the 2026 Robinson Jeffers Tor House Prize for Poetry are announced and their poems posted at:

Robonson Jeffers Tor House Prize for Poetry 2026 Winners

03/29/2026

At the MMA Block Party on April 11, you can have fun learning about historic Tor House, the home of poet Robinson and Una Jeffers.

Linger to read Robison Jeffers’ epic poetry and channel that inspiration into a letter, a poem, or a drawing. Activities include:

Inspired by the fascinating letters of Robinson and Una Jeffers, write a note to a friend on a Tor House postcard. Tor House will stamp it and mail it for you.
Try your hand at writing a poem about the natural world. Some of Jeffers’ most recognized poems will be on display as inspiration.
Type out a poem on a typewriter, just like Jeffers did to send his work to publishers.
Everyone is invited to create drawings that convey how a displayed poem makes them feel. Plenty of paper and colored pencils will be on hand.

03/11/2026

The Annual Tor House Garden Party will be held on Sunday, May 3, 2026. Reservations are now available on the Tor House website, https://www.torhouse.org/

01/28/2026

New books are available at Tor House! Roan Stallion, Tamar, & Other Poems in a new centennial edition. Plus the story of making Tor House a National Historic Landmark in a beautiful book. See more about the books at Tor House Press on our website. https://www.torhouse.org/tor-house-press-books

12/18/2025

What better way to celebrate the season and the 100th anniversary of the completion of Hawk Tower than with a gingerbread model? Compliments of Susie Joyce, Tor House Foundation Office and Facilities Manager. Happy Holidays from the Tor House Foundation!

11/17/2025

It's time for the annual MontereyGives! fundraiser for non-profit organizations. This year Tor House Foundation has been hard at work preserving Tor House and Hawk Tower. Needless to say, the new roofing needed to protect Tor House was expensive. So this year, your tax-deductible gifts to Tor House Foundation will be most gratefully appreciated. You can donate through MontereyGives! at: https://www.montereycountygives.com/nonprofit/tor-house/
Thank you!

10/21/2025

We made a movie! Watch our short documentary on the life of Robin and Una Jeffers at Tor House. Then come visit us for a tour! https://www.torhouse.org/videos

10/07/2025

What would Jeffers think of our times?

09/04/2025

We sent our AI helper back in time to January 20, 1962, to take a photo of Hawk Tower, for it was snowing as Robinson Jeffers lay dying at Tor House.

Want to learn more about the Jeffers and the building of Hawk Tower 100 years ago? Come to our Fall Festival and hear geoscientist Aaron Yoshinobu present "Stone by Stone: The Building of Hawk Tower". See our Events page for details.

The Poet is Dead
Tribute to Robinson Jeffers by William Everson

�In the Evening the dusk
Stipples with lights. The long shore
Gathers darkness in on itself
And goes cold. From the lap of silence
All the tide crest’s pivotal immensity
Lifts into the land
�
Snow on the headland,
Rare on the cost of California.
Snow on Pt Lobos,
Falling all night,
Filling the creeks and the back country.
The strangely beautiful
Setting of death
�
For the poet is dead.
The pen, splintered on the sheer
Excesses of vision, unfingered, falls.
The heart crookt hand, cold as stone,
Let’s it go down

09/02/2025

For additional information on the Tor House Fall Festival, our online newsletter is also now available to download. It includes forms for the Sunday Tour of Pt Sur Lightstation and a speaker list for Saturday's event. Use the Reservations button on the website to buy tickets for the Friday Sunset Celebration, Saturday Banquet, and Sunday excursion. The Saturday session is free. https://www.torhouse.org/news