This article seeks to delineate the origin and ambitions of Poets & Critics as a program designed to study and practice the question of alternative forms of criticism by looking into the critical and creative work of a given poet. After a contextual analysis of alternative forms of criticism and their potentiality in mainly US poetry, the article traces the history and the modus operandi of the Poets and Critics program. Initiated in Paris in 2010 and curated by Vincent Broqua, Olivier Brossard and Abigail Lang, the program is viewed as a research method: while bridging the gap between academic and poetic discussions, emphasizing poets' perspectives and exploring alternative forms of criticism, it also examines critical and creative work of English-speaking poets and critics through in-depth, collective discussions, challenging conventional formats and drawing inspiration from poets engaging in scholarly work. What is gained in the end is an intensive study of a given poet's work, the elaboration of a live critical discourse over two days, as well as a renewal of critical discourse in itself.