Reading

High-bridity: Elevating the Everyday

What topics and forms are deemed “poetic,” and what gets to become a poem? Formal or free verse, every text has the capacity to rupture familiar structures or elevate mundane objects. As poet Michele Battiste told Gulf Coast magazine, “Poetry bears witness. History is best documented not by scholars or journalists or writers of textbooks, but by poets and artists in all of our enraged or fascinated or seduced subjectivities.” What can the everyday tell us about history, about witness?

Second Factory Reading

A reading to celebrate the launch of the third issue of second factory, a journal from Ugly Duckling Presse. Second Factory showcases work from a variety of poets and artists in each issue. Spotted like a bird in the wild, heard as a grinding piece of machinery, Second Factory manifests in examples: an office park of shadows; a vast and boundless shed; a grape in the risograph; a butterfly in a net. Issue 3 features work by Virginie Poitrasson (tr.

CANCELLED: Lit Balm: the life and work of Kalamu ya Salaam

This event was cancelled due to Kalamu's health concerns. We very much wish him a speedy recovery.

Lit Balm will kick off the 2022 New Orleans Poetry Festival with a show focusing on the life and work of New Orleans poet Kalamu ya Salaam. Presenters will read from Kalamu's work, discuss his work's importance, and engage in a direct discussion with Kalamu about his inspirations, directions, and accomplishments. The show will begin with poems from Lit Balm's hosts and end with an open mic. Full list of presenters to be announced.

Poetry Matters Project

Our Purpose

    To build community connection through collaboration under the guise of poetry

Mission Statement: To increase the awareness, interaction and participation of poets  and poetry with the public at large. This is done to enhance the contribution of poetry in all aspects of contemporary society.

The Poetry Matters Project consists of three programs.

I. Poetry Matters Literary Prizes

Unlikely Stories

Six poets will come together in support of the the online journal, Unlikely Stories. Unlikely Stories has been running on the web, more-or-less continuously, since 1998. It publishes poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, cultural and artistic criticism, visual art, music, movies, and other web-based works. Unlikely Stories has pursued a unique, transgressive, and experimental aesthetic. At the same time, it has sought to publish both established and emerging authors, offering many now-known authors their first publication credit.

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