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Dodge Poetry Festival Kicks Off Today in Newark

The 30th annual Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival begins today, Oct. 20 and runs through Sunday, Oct. 23, in Newark. This Dodge Festival is the largest poetry event in North America. This is the fourth time the event is being hosted in New Jersey’s largest city.

Newark’s downtown Arts District has been transformed into a poetry village for the festival. More than 50 poets and spoken word artists will be featured. A sampling of some of the poets who will participate: Kaveh Akbar, Robin Becker, Nickole Brown, Jos Charles, Billy Collins, Marilyn Chin, Martín Espada, Celeste Gainey, Laurie Ann Guerrero, Robert Hass, Brenda Hillman, and Jane Hirshfield.

Poets will read from their work, and some will also discuss the poems and poets that have mattered to them. Poetry samplers will feature over two dozen poets giving brief readings introduce a wide range of the poets appearing at the Festival. Groups of poets will also discuss themes and topical issues.

The festival will feature poetry and music collaborations featuring poets, musicians and dancers from a wide range of genres. Special events will focus on themed readings like “Another Kind of Courage,” a reading by war veterans and their families.

Single-day passes, weekend passes and four-day passes to the festival can be purchased online or at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, one of 10 festival venues. For more information and a complete schedule, visit the Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry website.