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Dear Friends,
Patricia Smith blew us away at last week's Split This Rock AWP reading--"Intense, Beautiful, Devoted," which also featured Natalie Diaz, Danez Smith, and Wang Ping--by debuting a new poem she wrote for Split This Rock in which she asks Who splits this rock? And declares the power we all know we have: You do. We do.
You can experience the poem here for yourself:  | | "Who Splits This Rock?" by Patricia Smith |
The reading was just a sampling of what's to come at the end of the month here in DC at Split This Rock Poetry Festival: Poems of Provocation & Witness 2014, March 27-30--a powerful experience of some of the most affecting and vibrant work being written in contemporary American poetry today. Sample panels & workshops: - Crossing the Boundaries of the Self: Writing Through Others' Stories
- Affrilachian Poets on Identity, Place & Landscape
- The Environment in Crisis: Poetry & Activism
Can't wait? Check out the March issue of Poetry magazine! The issue features a special portfolio of new work from the 16 poets who will feature at the festival. "Surely we are living in a golden age of American poetry," writes Split This Rock Executive Director Sarah Browning in her introduction.  | |
Cover art: Lorna Simpson, "Back of Yellow Dress," 2013
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The website for Poetry offers a podcast in which co-editors Don Share and Sarah Browning discuss poems by Danez Smith, Franny Choi, and Claudia Rankine, plus Nikky Finney on the poetry of James Baldwin! All this and a reading list in which a handful of the issue's contributors share books that have grabbed their attention recently! We hope this gets you excited for the festival, which is right around the corner -- register now and start planning your visit with the help of the new festival mobile app. It allows you to browse the schedule and presenters and personalize your visit, among a wealth of other cool features. We can't wait to see you!
In peace and poetry,
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