Category Archives: Poetry 2010 Festival
2010 Festival Poet: Rigoberto González
June 25, 2010Stacey Balkun, Festival Assistant A writer experienced in many genres, Rigoberto González boasts a bibliography of two poetry books, two bilingual children’s books, one novel, a collection of short stories, and a memoir. González writes a monthly book column for … Continue reading
2010 Festival Poet: Martín Espada
June 18, 2010Martin Farawell, Program Director, Poetry In “Something Escapes the Bonfire,” a poem from his most recent collection, The Republic of Poetry, Martín Espada recounts the story of Victor Jara, the Chilean songwriter and poet murdered by Augusto Pinochet’s military junta. … Continue reading
2010 Festival Poet: Rita Dove
June 11, 2010Martin Farawell, Program Director, Poetry Research Assistance: Stacey Balkun, Festival Assistant It’s widely known that poet Rita Dove is the youngest person, and the first African-American, to be appointed United States Poet Laureate. Her biographies inevitably offer some sampling of … Continue reading
2010 Festival Poet: Michael Dickman
June 11, 2010Rebecca Gambale, Festival Assistant Have you ever recalled a dream or memory to another person? What happens to the structure of your language as you pull up the dormant images in your mind? Think of your fragmented speech, and how … Continue reading
2010 Festival Poet: Matthew Dickman
June 4, 2010Khalil Murrell, Program Associate, Poetry In the great, big ol’ picnic of Matthew Dickman’s poems, everything is eligible for singing: a glowing, off-the-vine “Roma,” the chicken hung in the window in “The Mysterious Human Heart,” and even the skinny girl … Continue reading
2010 Festival Poet: Kwame Dawes
June 4, 2010Martin Farawell, Program Director, Poetry Research Assistance: Rebecca Gambale, Festival Assistant To anyone listening to Kwame Dawes reading his poetry, it should come as no surprise that he also has a background as a singer, storyteller, novelist, actor and playwright. … Continue reading
Poetry Fridays: 2010 Festival Poet Oliver de la Paz
May 28, 2010Stacey Balkun, Festival Assistant Humans are drawn repeatedly to the narrative; our lives are a sequence of journeys from one place or time to another. Situating these passages within the context of geography or time can reveal themes and motifs … Continue reading
Poetry Fridays: 2010 Festival Poet Kyle Dargan
May 28, 2010Khalil Murrell, Program Associate, Poetry In light of America’s evolving narrative on race, how do today’s writers of color, specifically those of the so-called Hip-Hop Generation, add to one of the nation’s most difficult conversations? How do they embrace a … Continue reading
Poetry Fridays: 2010 Festival Poet Michael Cirelli
May 21, 2010Rebecca Gambale, Festival Assistant Flip over Michael Cirelli’s debut collection, Lobster with Ol’ Dirty Bastard, and you’ll see an interesting combination: a blurb by The Best American Poetry editor and founder David Lehman, alongside one by Grammy-award winning rapper and … Continue reading
Poetry Fridays: 2010 Festival Poet Billy Collins
May 21, 2010Martin Farawell, Program Director, Poetry Billy Collins has said that a poem should be like a carnival ride: as soon as it is done, you want to get right back on and ride it again. So, click on the link … Continue reading
Poetry Fridays: 2010 Festival Poet Teresa Carson
May 14, 2010Rebecca Gambale, Festival Assistant Teresa Carson’s Elegy for the Floater is an example of how poetry can help an individual to process and connect with a difficult past, while transforming the painful experiences into eloquent words on the page. This … Continue reading
Poetry Fridays: 2010 Festival Poet Jericho Brown
May 7, 2010Stacey Balkun, Festival Assistant Jericho Brown was born and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana, but feels he “did his growing-up” in New Orleans, where he worked as a speechwriter for the mayor. While his old career may seem good preparation for … Continue reading
Poetry Fridays: 2010 Festival Poet Tara Betts
May 7, 2010Rebecca Gambale, Festival Assistant Tara Betts is a Cave Canem fellow and a lecturer in creative writing at Rutgers University in New Brunswick. Originally from Kankakee, Illinois, she has a Chicago soul which comes across in her writing as well … Continue reading