Tucson Poetry Festival’s mission is to celebrate and expand the audience for contemporary poetry.  In 2011, we are exploring the burning question, What Can Poetry Do?

This year has been a particularly exciting celebration of the potential deep within that question as Ocotillo Literary Endeavors collaborates with both Every Voice in Action and UA Poetry Center to fire up the Tucson Youth Poetry Slam (TYPS), culminating with a first-ever Tucson Youth Championship Slam hosted by Patricia Smith at the Poetry Center’s “Young at Art” Celebration on April 30, 2011.

Expect this year’s festival to deliver an electrified powerhouse of amazing local and national poets.  Our line-up includes Jeffrey McDaniel, Luci Tapahonso, Danny Solis, and Niki Herd.  Thank you for your generous support of these poets.  All contributions will help put “Poetry In Action” on April 1-3, 2011.

Friday, April 1, 2011, Hotel Congress

6:30 PM, Doors open

7 PM, Festival opening remarks

7:30 PM, Niki Herd reads

8:00 PM, Danny Solis reads

8:30 PM, Transition to Slam

8:45 PM, Slam Round 1 begins

10 PM, Slam concludes

Saturday, April 2, 2011, Tucson High School Library

Workshops and Panel

10 AM -2 PM, Poet Workshops

2-4 PM, Moderated Panel Discussion with Paul Fisher

Saturday evening readings, Hotel Congress

6:30 PM, Doors open

7 PM, Introductions

7:15 PM, Youth Contest Winner reads

7:30 PM, Luci Tapahonso reads

8:00 PM, Statewide Contest Winner reads

8:15 PM, Jeffrey McDaniel reads

8:45 PM, Fundraiser Raffle Drawing

9:00 PM, Final Round of Slam

10-10:30 PM, Slam concludes

Sunday, April 3, 2011, Tucson High School Library

12:00 PM, High School Poetry Contest Winners Awards Ceremony

2011 TUCSON POETRY FESTIVAL 29 – GUEST POET BIOS

Niki Herd grew up in Cleveland and earned degrees in Creative Writing from the University of Arizona and Antioch in Los Angeles. Her work has appeared in several journals and anthologies, and has been supported by organizations including Cave Canem, the Astraea Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts. The Language of Shedding Skin, her debut collection of poems, was a finalist for the Main Street Rag Poetry Award.

Jeffrey McDaniel is the author of three books: Alibi School (Manic D, 1995), The Forgiveness Parade (Manic D, 1998), andThe Splinter Factory (Manic D, 2002). His poems have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies, including Best American Poetry 1994 and New (American) Poets. The recipient of an NEA Fellowship, a translated volume of his poems, Katastrophenkunde, is coming out this summer on Lautsprecherverlag in Germany. He lives in Brooklyn and teaches creative writing at Sarah Lawrence College.

Daniel S. Solis is a lifelong lover of and student of poetry. He has published three books and a cd of poetry. He has taught and performed poetry for audiences of all ages all over the US.  Solis has won numerous Poetry Slam awards, including, in 2005, the Individual World Poetry Slam Championship in Oxford, England. He has also performed in London, Scotland and France.  Solis is currently working with Keshet Dance Company on a multimedia performance titled “Worthy of your wild mouth, a journey through the poetry of  Pablo Neruda”, the first performance of which took place at the Alvin Ailey Theater in NY City.

Luci Tapahonso grew up learning both English and Navajo in Shiprock, NM. She is a Professor of English at the University of Arizona in Tucson, where she teaches Poetry Writing and American Indian Literature. Tapahonso is the author of A Radiant Curve (University of Arizona Press, 2008), Blue Horses Rush In (University of Arizona Press, 1997), Sáanii Dahataal/The Women Are Singing (University of Arizona Press, 1993), and many other books. Her poetry has been published in Diné Be Iina, Frontiers, Caliban, Sinister Wisdom, and The Beloit Poetry Journal.

For more info see http://tucsonpoetryfestival.org/ or contact Maya Asher at Masherster@gmail.com.