Every April we host the Albany Word Fest. Since April is National Poetry Month we are not the only organization to hold a festival dedicated to our favorite art form. We are far away from April and the next Word Fest so today we are taking a look at some upcoming poetry events and festivals that are happening this summer (and fall) all around this great country.
Poetry on Governors Island…
This weekend the Poetry Society of New York will present the second annual New York City Poetry Festival on Governors Island with two days of readings, art, and much more. The New York Times has an article about this great poetry event.
Dodge Poetry Festival in Newark, NJ…
One of the biggest poetry events in the country, bringing in almost 20,000 fans of the art since its inception in 1986, is the Dodge Poetry Festival. This year the event returns to the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark in October. This year’s list of featured performers is a who’s who in poetry and spoken word including Amiri Baraka, Eavan Boland, Henri Cole, Nikky Finney, Terrance Hayes, Juan Felipe Herrera, Jane Hirshfield, Fanny Howe, Kurtis Lamkin, Dorianne Laux, Philip Levine, Ada Limón, Thomas Lux, Gregory Orr, Arthur Sze, Natasha Trethewey, C.K. Williams, Raúl Zurita, and Patricia Smith.
Napa Valley Writers’ Conference…
This coming Sunday marks the launch of the 32nd annual Napa Valley Writers’ Conference. The Napa Valley Register goes on explain that “every summer, a faculty of eight poets and fiction writers and 96 writing participants meet for five intensive days of workshops, lectures, readings and mentoring.”
Yes, Poetry Events Even Happen in Alaska…
If you can get there in time, this coming weekend will be a Spoken Word Retreat organized by a local Juneau open mic and slam host Woosh Kinaadeiyí. According to an article on the Juneau Empire website, this weekend’s retreat “offers an opportunity for attendees to relax, write and connect with other poets.”
