Dodge Poetry Festival 2014

The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation's Poetry Festival is this weekend for the third time at the NJPAC and other venues in the downtown area within walking distance. It's the largest poetry event in North American called "Wordstock" by the New York Times.

Among the poets who will give featured readings from the stage of NJPAC's Prudential Hall are Richard Blanco, who was selected to read at President Barak Obama's second inauguration only weeks after his appearance at the 2012 Festival; Eavan Boland, Ireland's most-honored female poet; former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins (2001-2003); former U.S. Poets Laureate and Pulitzer Prize winners Rita Dove (1993-1995) and Robert Pinsky (1997-2000); Mark Doty, winner of the National Book Award for Poetry and the T.S. Eliot Prize; as well as Pulitzer Prize winners Yusef Komunyakaa, Sharon Olds and Gary Snyder.

Highlights of the Festival include:

- Poetry Sampler (Thurs 10/23) a celebration of the diverse poetry community in which twenty-five leading poets offer short, back-to-back readings in one evening.

- Another Kind of Courage (Sat 10/25) in which veterans and their families explore through poetry not only the courage needed to enter into combat, but to face the battles that happen after they return home as they, their spouses, families and children deal with the impact and aftermath of war.

- A celebration of Amiri Baraka (Sat 10/25 - FREE), the Newark-based poet and founding father of the Black Arts movement who passed away earlier this year and participated in numerous Dodge Poetry Festivals, including the two previous Festivals in Newark in 2010 and 2012. Tribute on Sun 10/26.

- PoemJazz, (Sat 10/25) Robert Pinsky and pianist Laurence Hobgood"˜s collaborative program showcasing their two great passions: poetry and jazz. PoemJazz presents the human voice - the reading and performance of poems - along with a variety of jazz musical improvisations.

− Performances by Brick City Voices (Sat 10/25) , a group of young, emerging poets from Newark, as well as the Newark Boys Chorus.

Anchored by ticketed events at NJPAC, the Festival will transform Newark's Downtown Arts District into a "Poetry Village," and there's many open readings that are open to the general public.

Tickets: Prices for a Weekend Pass (Saturday and Sunday admission) are $60 with discounted admission available at $54 for seniors and teachers with ID, and $30 for students and Newark residents. Four Day Passes providing entry to all events at the Festival, Thursday through Sunday, are $100 with discounted admission for seniors and teachers at $88 and students and Newark residents at $50. Tickets are available at the NJPAC box office, 1 Center Street, Newark NJ, online at www.njpac.org or by phone at 1-888-GO-NJPAC.

For regularly updated information about the 2014 Dodge Poetry Festival visit www.DodgePoetry.org and there's an app available with all the details.