Poems of Provocation & Witness

May this gathering inspire and affirm the spirit of many, especially younger poets and teachers, who have felt betrayed by corporate government and media, by broken promises and opportunism. Thank you for your belief in the freeing power of language and action. —Adrienne Rich

©Jill Brazel

July 31 @ Eatonville — Broken Gulf: A Benefit for the Louisiana Bucket Brigade

We know the power of poetry to demand change and to heal our world. On July 31, at Eatonville, we will use that power to benefit the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, a grassroots, 501(c)3 environmental health and justice organization that is helping Louisiana residents respond to the BP oil disaster. Sponsored by Eatonville Restaurant, Split This Rock, and the Institute for Policy Studies. Tickets to the event are $10, and are available online or at the door. Full details on our Events page.

July 23 and 24, 2010 — "Howl" in the City, featuring Anne Waldman, Kyp Malone, and Matthew Hemerlein

In celebration of the landmark exhibition Beat Memories: The Photographs of Allen Ginsberg on view at the National Gallery of Art through September 17, Busboys and Poets and Split This Rock present “Howl” in the City. The performances will take place at 8:00 p.m. on July 23 and 24, with a 10:00 p.m. show on July 23. On Saturday, July 24, at 10:00 p.m., Kyp Malone, guitarist and singer for the popular experimental rock band TV on the Radio, will bring the event to its grand finale with a free performance on the K Street patio in front of the restaurant. Malone’s musical projects mirror the Beats’ unrelenting pursuit of creativity. The program is made possible in part by grants from the Alice Shaver Foundation and Poets & Writers, Inc. Cosponsored by The Passenger.

More details on our Events page and at Blog This Rock.

Split This Rock Announces its Fourth Annual Poetry Contest - Deadline November 1, 2010

We are thrilled to announce Split This Rock's 2011 poetry contest and judge, 2010 featured poet, Jan Beatty. In the past three years we have received an incredible number of socially engaged poems in the spirit of Split This Rock. The deadline for submissions is November 1, 2010. See our Contests page for information on prizes and how and what to submit. We post each year's winning poems on our website. Feel free to read the winning poems from 2008, 2009, and 2010.

Call for Submissions: Split This Rock "Poem of the Week"

Split This Rock invites all participants in the 2008 and 2010 Split This Rock Poetry Festivals to submit poems for consideration for its expanded Poem of the Week program. We are pleased to feature poems by poets who were registered participants in either (or both!) Split This Rock Poetry Festival: Poems of Provocation & Witness, in 2008 and/or 2010.

Poem of the Week sends one poem per week on a social issue to a wide audience: Split This Rock's list serv and Facebook group (now more than 3,000 nationwide, combined), and the national and international networks of the Institute for Policy Studies. We also post the poem on Split This Rock's blog, Blog This Rock. We encourage everyone who receives the poem to forward and post it widely, so that it reaches a broad public. Please send us your poems for consideration. Guidelines on our Events page.

Please Support Split This Rock

Split This Rock depends on a strong financial foundation. Your tax-deductible contribution supports grassroots outreach, communications, and planning for the biennial festival and other programs — and help us create a stable organization you can count on to serve your interests as a socially engaged poet. Gifts of any size are deeply appreciated. We hope you'll consider giving $50, $100, or more. The Institute for Policy Studies is still accepting donations on our behalf. Donate online or mail contributions to: Split This Rock, 1112 16th Street NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20036. We thank you.

More updates at Blog This Rock

Photos on Flickr

Sign up to receive Split This Rock updates