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.

Incredible Lineup in a Once-in-a-Lifetime Event!!! The theme is “gallery of the unexpected,” and will not be your average poetry event. Behind every set of doors, in different corners, and throughout the home there will be mini-performances on Saturday, November 20th at 7:30 p.m. at a beautiful private residence, 4133 E. Pima, Tucson, between Alvernon and Columbus.

Poets, performers and musicians including Logan Phillips, Maya Asher, Teresa Driver, DJ Transeo, Kelly Lewis, Heather Woodrich and many, many more bring never-before-seen multimedia performances/poems in a beautiful, private-backyard setting. There will be some exclusive seating available for an additional charge, which will be available on a first come first service basis. There will also be some donated art for sale, from local artists. Tickets will be 10 dollars, sold at the door.

The Tucson Poetry Festival has brought the biggest and brightest names in the literary world for almost 3 decades. Previous performers have included Czeslaw Milosz, Quincey Troupe, Allen  Ginsberg, Patricia Smith and many more. As TPF puts together an eclectic lineup for its 29th year, we’ve decided to hold a huge bash for the city of Tucson to celebrate the amazing literary scene in our city that can support and has supported such an incredible event. There will be food, drinks, music, poetry, and multimedia presentations. This event will end with two live DJ’s, traveling from out of town to play an eclectic mix featuring dub bass. Come for the art, stay for the music and support our wonderful and local scene.

At this event, Logan Phillips will be showcasing his newest project “NoVOGRAFIAS: the poem before the pen” which will change how you think about spoken word and performance art. Heather Woodrich will be showcasing her film “Artifact” which has been release briefly at the Loft theater, this film is not available online. There will be two poems done in American Sign Language, with an English translation voiced. Other poets will be local, and will be utilizing the Festival’s theme for 2011 “Poetry in Action.” This event is being held to benefit the upcoming 29th Tucson Poetry Festival on April 1-3 2011!

For more info contact Matthew Conley, matthewjohnconley@gmail.com or call 520.413.2382 and 480.390.1063 or visit their website, www.tucsonyouthslam.blogspot.com.

The Tucson Poetry Festival celebrates its 28th year with the theme  Poetry Where You Are. They plan on addressing the questions, “Where does poetry reside? What makes it vital to our everyday lives? How can we bring poetry out of the classroom and the library and into the world around us?” I would add, how do we tell our stories with poetry?

Friday, April 2, opens with readings at the Club Congress followed by the Grand Slam, billed as” the biggest Slam Poetry event that Tucson has ever seen”.  If you’ve never been to a slam (or even if you have), be prepared to be amazed!

Saturday, April 3, brings more readings and workshops with poets  Manuel Paul Lopez, Gypsee Yo, Linda Russo, and Sonya Renee, and a panel moderated by Paul Fisher.  See the schedule of events for times and locations.

Events are at Club Congress, Tucson High Library and Casa Libre.  You can buy a festival pass at the venues for the whole weekend for $25 or pay for individual events.  The High School readings and panel discussion are free.

The Festival is co-sponsored by Ocotillo Literary Endeavor and POG. For more information, contact mewakamatsu@msn.com

Finding Voice Project is presenting a retrospective exhibition (2006-2009) of photography, writing and digital stories produced by international students at Tucson’s Catalina Magnet High School. Through their images, words and digital stories they will take you on a very personal journey from the countries they emigrated from - Afghanistan, Bhutan, Ghana, India, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Kuwait, Liberia, Mexico, Nepal, Marshall Islands, Russia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Vietnam - to a Tucson you have likely never seen before.

Finding Voice is a literacy and visual arts program in Tucson dedicated to helping refugee and immigrant youth in English Language Development (ELD) classes at Catalina Magnet High School develop their literacy skills by researching, photographing, writing, and speaking out about critical social issues in their lives.

The show will be at the Union Gallery, 3rd Floor of Student Union, University of Arizona from October 16 – November 13, Monday – Friday from noon to 6 p.m.  The opening reception is on Friday, October 16 from 5 to 7 p.m. with an artist talk starting at 6.  Call 520-621-6142 for more info.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A party to raise funds for the 2010 Tucson Poetry Festival takes place on Friday, October 16 from 6 to 10 p.m. at 2020 E. 4th Street.

You can enjoy beer, wine, food, poetry and good company while supporting the efforts of the 2010 festival. There will be a silent auction/raffle including works by Sherwin Bitsui, G. Foushee, and Gavin Troy. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased through your poetry festival friend, or at Antigone Books, 411 N. 4th Ave.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A benefit for Chax Press and Voices, Inc will feature a book launch and celebration with authors Linh Dinh, Stephanie Balzer and Jonathan Rothschild on Friday, October 30 at 7 p.m. at the Rogue Theatre, 300 E. University.  Food and drink will be available.  Tickets are $10.  Call 620-1626 for more info.

Chax Press is a Tucson nonprofit literary and book arts organization with programs in literary publishing, fine art bookmaking, education and exhibitions.

VOICES is a community-based nonprofit organization that provides youth with safe space, positive relationship and skills training to document real-life stories.  Their mission is to”mentor low-income youth to tell their personal, family, neighborhood, tribal, and community stories so they can strengthen their cognitive, artistic, emotional, leadership, and higher education skills. Youth who are creative, resilient, educated and active citizens are youth who benefit themselves, their families and our community now and in the future.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

POG- Poetry in Action -  is a “collective of poets, literary critics and practitioners of other art forms who have joined together in Tucson to offer public programming and other related events, which will promote active appreciation of and engagement with avant-garde artistic work in a variety of media, especially poetry and multi-disciplinary art.”

Some of their upcoming events include:

November 13, 2009, 7 p.m. to 2 a.m., Aural Pleasure Extravaganza Benefit for POG, music, poetry, dancing at Club Congress, 311 E. Congress St.

November 21, 2009, 7 p.m., Myung Mi Kim and Barbara Henning, The Drawing Studio, 33 S. Sixth Ave.

December 12, 2009, 7 p.m., Tony Luebbermann and Stephanie Balzer – The Drawing Studio, 33 S. Sixth Ave.