Dodge Poetry Festival

In less than two weeks, The Dodge Poetry Festival starts in Newark, New Jersey (Oct. 11-14). Woo hoo! The largest poetry festival in North America, this year's Dodge Festival promises to be a good one. Here's the lineup:

Taalam Acey, Cynthia Arrieu-King, Amiri Baraka, Ras Baraka, Brian Barker, Nicky Beer, Dan Bellm, Richard Blanco, Eavan Boland, Henri Cole, Eduardo C. Corral, Emari DiGiorgio, Sharon Dolin, Nikky Finney, Emily Fragos, Terrance Hayes, Juan Felipe Herrera, Lamar Hill, Mark Hillringhouse, Jane Hirshfield, Fanny Howe, Adele Kenny, Kurtis Lamkin, Dorianne Laux, Paul LeGault, Philip Levine, Ada Limón, Timothy Liu, Thomas Lux, Salgado Maranhão, Rachel McKibbens, Taylor Mali, Joseph Millar, John Murillo, Idra Novey, Michael O'Hara, Gregory Orr, Gregory Pardlo, Benjamin Alire Sáenz, Baraka Sele, Narubi Selah, Joan Siegel, Patricia Smith, Arthur Sze, Larissa Szporluk, Natasha Trethewey, C.K. Williams, and Raúl Zurita.

Since 1996, Joseph Legaspi and I have been traveling to Dodge as if we were making a pilgrimage. As a college student, it was an amazing experience hearing and meeting poets from across the country and beyond. And while the venue and scope has changed, it's still the event I look forward to every two years. Dodge has a spirit all its own. I'm looking forward to catching up with old friends and making new ones, hearing poets I've long admired, and watching the performances that will be talked about for years to come.

This year, I will attend as the director of my own festival. My perspective will change only slightly, however--I want to see how they've been doing it so well all these years. But it's all about the poetry.

10 days away!

Are you going to Dodge this year? If so, let me know. Hope to see you there!