Poems of Provocation & Witness
Register Today! March 22-25, 2012
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 |
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©Jill Brazel |
Announcing Poetry Contest Winners!
Split This Rock is thrilled to announce the winners of our fifth annual poetry contest, judged by 2012 featured poet Naomi Shihab Nye.
- First Prize is "White" by Leona Sevick of Keymar, Maryland.
- Second Prize is "Làt-Kat" by Elizabeth Hoover of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
- Third Prize is "A constellation of mint" by Kevin McLellan of Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Read the winning poems on our 2012 contest page.
Voices Out Loud—Wednesday, February 1, 2012
The Leadership Conference Education Fund and Split This Rock invite you to celebrate the centenary of Bayard Rustin, unsung prophet of the civil rights movement. Featuring video clips from Nancy Kates and Bennett Singer’s "Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin" and Singer’s new film, "Electoral Dysfunction"; spoken word from Chris August, Regie Cabico, and Twain Dooley; multimedia from the Gandhi Brigade Youth Media Collective; plus other special guests.
This is a free event, but space is limited. See our Events page for details and a link to RSVP. Cosponsored by Split This Rock and The Leadership Conference Education Fund.
Festival Registration Is Open!
Split This Rock invites you to our nation's capital for the biennial festival celebrating the poetry of witness and resistance! Whether you are a poet looking for community with other seekers of justice, an activist seeking inspiration and renewal, a lover of words wanting great poetry, or all of the above, Split This Rock 2012 is for you!
The festival will once again feature some of the most visionary and powerful voices of our time: environmental activists, youth organizers, Pulitzer Prize winners, slam champions, poets of all ethnicities, DC-area poets, an opera librettist, translators, editors and publishers, and emerging poets.
Join us in Washington, DC for four days and more than 50 events: readings, workshops, panel discussions, youth programs, open mics, and activism! Visit our festival pages for full details.
More Poetry in the Post: Letter-Writing Campaign
If you live in the Washington, DC, area or read The Washington Post, please write a letter to the editor urging more reviews of poetry. We hope to swamp the Post with scores of letters demonstrating the wide audience for poetry among its readership. Use our Sample Letter to the Post, or write your own.
UPDATE: On July 30, 2011, 2012 Festival Planning Committee member and poet Yvette Neisser Moreno's letter, "Why no poetry in Book World Special?" was published in The Washington Post.
If you live outside the area, write a similar letter to the book review section of your local newspaper. Even better, launch a local campaign! Together, we can make this a national campaign to increase coverage of poetry books in major newspapers and begin to restore poetry’s place as a major genre of literature in this country. For inspiration and more details, read our flyer and check out some of Split This Rock's favorite sites for book reviews! Please let us know what response you receive. Contact Yvette Neisser-Moreno for more information.
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 helps 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—or adding a recurring donation. Donate online or mail contributions to: Split This Rock, 1112 16th Street NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20036. We thank you.
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