Events & Advocacy
Sunday Kind of Love - 3rd Sunday Every Month at Busboys and Poets
4:00 - 6:00 PM in the Langston Room at Busboys and Poets 14th & V location. The first hour features readings by local poets. The second hour is an open mic -- bring your own poems to read! Hosted by Sarah Browning and Katy Richey. Sponsored by DC Commission on Arts and Humanities, Busboys and Poets, and Split This Rock. Busboys and Poets also lists Sunday Kind of Love on its events page. FREE admission; donations encouraged.
Poets in the Think Tank
Split This Rock collaborates with the Institute for Policy Studies on an occasional basis to bring poets and social justice advocates together in the "think tank." These brown bag events are free and open to the public -- bring your lunch! Sign up for our email list or find Split This Rock on Facebook to hear about upcoming events.
Poem of the Week
Split This Rock is sending out one poem per week by poets featured in Split This Rock Poetry Festival 2010 for the 24 weeks leading up to the festival, which begins March 10, 2010. Watch BlogThisRock or sign up for our email list. We invite you to share the poems widely, always including the publication credit and festival information listed after each poem.
Haiku Postcards to the President
In 2008 we began collecting haiku postcards for President Bush. We now have the honor and responsibility of sending our postcards to President Barack Obama. We've collected hundreds so far -- you can read some of our favorites at Blog This Rock, and we plan to hand-deliver these postcards to President Obama's staff.
If we don't have YOUR haiku to the President, please send it to us at info@splitthisrock.org and we'll add it to a postcard in the collection. Please let us know we have your permission to post on the website and/or to include it in any future display or publication.
Postcards are available for use in the classroom, or to be shared and used in your community -- email info@splitthisrock.org.
Speak Art to Power: March 16-20, 2009
Poets gathered at Split This Rock Poetry Festival in March 2008 signed an Appeal to Poets, Writers, and Creative Artists, and committed to a week of creative protest against war and social injustice March 16-21, 2009. Writers, artists, musicians, performers, are called on to use their art to provoke conversation, protest and action at the six year anniversary of war in Iraq. You can pledge to participate online. We encourage you to work with other artists in your community to organize local events and to post your events as "Speak Art to Power" on the United for Peace and Justice calendar, where others in your community might find your event.
In Washington DC, DC Poets Against the War is hosting a veterans' poetry reading at Busboys and Poets on 14th and V Streets on March 21, from 5-7 pm, with readings from the anthology Post Traumatic Press 2007. Please let us know what you are planning in your town and we'll help share the news. Thanks to Patricia Monaghan for her help coordinating.
One Percent for the Arts
Split This Rock joins Institute for Policy Studies in calling on Congress to support the arts in this time of crisis. During the 1930's the WPA project created jobs for 40,000 artists, musicians, writers, theater workers, and performers. Our generation deserves no less. Click here to read the IPS article.
The Nation publishedan article on this campaign. The Irish Times also reported on the push to include arts in the stimulus package.
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Check back for more events and ways to get involved!