Poetry is for everyone at The 20th Dodge Poetry Festival, October 17 – 19. Downtown Newark will be buzzing with music and spoken word performances in this joyful, community-driven celebration.

Hear headliners Mahogany L. Browne, Tyehimba Jess, Claudia Rankine, Afaa Michael Weaver, Aracelis Girmay and more — along with dozens of activities, workshops, poetry slams and jams. And don’t miss Saturday’s free Family Fun Day in Military Park, with a DJ, community poets, drag storytelling, face painting and fun.

Schedule

¡Consigue tu pase para el festival! – Pase para el jueves

Tiempo Ubicación Evento
10:30-11:40AM Victoria Theater Academy of American Poets: Poetry and Pause (Ed Roberson and Tracy K. Smith)
10:30-11:40AM Sala de persecución The Nature of the Poetry Biz (Dr. Helena D. Lewis, J Rose, Nancy Mercado)
12:00-1:10PM Victoria Theater Academy of American Poets: Poetry & Resurgence (Carolyn Forché, Patricia Smith,
and Afaa Michael Weaver)
12:00-1:10PM Sala de persecución Publishing in the Era of Social Media (J Rose, Jeri Rae, Cito Blanko)
1:30-2:40PM Victoria Theater Academy of American Poets: Poetry & the Collection (Jericho Brown and Kimiko Hahn)
1:30-2:40PM Sala de persecución Writing the Best Years of Your Life (Kathy Kremins, Ameerah Shabazz-Bilal, Dr. Helena D. Lewis)
3:00-4:10PM Sala de persecución Activism & Poetry for Educators (Paul con Queso LaTorre, Ameerah Shabazz-Bilal,
Diana Goetsch, Kai Coggin)
7:30 PM NICO Kitchen + Bar Catalyst Open Mic and Mixer (EvoluCulutre/Sean Battle, Craig Bradley, Margie “Mia X” Johnson)

Get your festival pass! – Friday Pass

Tiempo Ubicación Evento
9:30-10:40AM Prudential Hall
Poetry as Catalyst: Inspiration & Motivation (Aracelis Girmay, Haydil Henriquez, Cortney Lamar Charleston, Ching-In Chen)
9:30-10:40AM Victoria Theater Writing Our Story, Preventing Erasure (Nicole Sealey, Kathy Kremins, Ariana Benson, Issam Zineh
9:30-10:40AM Sala de persecución
Poetry as Catalyst: Field Notes from Newark (Paul con Queso LaTorre, Tehsaun Glover, Ameerah Shabazz-Bilal)
9:30-10:40AM Centro NJPAC para la Educación Artística My Life as a Poet (Dr. Helena D. Lewis, Dr. Craig Santos Perez, Claire Schwartz, Dimitri Reyes)
9:30-10:40AM Trinity St.-Philips
Developing a Lexicon Toward Liberation (Marwa Helal, Roque Raquel Salas Rivera, Carlos Andrés Gómez, Gein Wong)
9:30-10:40AM St. Patricks Pro-cathedral Undocupoets (Janine Joseph, Esther Lin, Beatriz Yanes Martinez)
9:30-10:40AM Express Newark Lucille Clifton’s Buffalo: Writing a City in Poetry (with Kazim Ali)
9:30-3:20PM New Jersey Historical Society Festival Open Mic
11:00 -various- Griots, Troubadours, and MCs: Poetry and the Oral Tradition
11:00AM-12:10PM Prudential Hall Mahogany L. Browne, Imani Cezanne, Nancy Mercado, Ashna Ali
11:00AM-12:10PM Victoria Theater George Abraham, Sean Battle, Emanuel Xavier, Kai Coggin
11:00AM-12:10PM Sala de persecución Tyehimba Jess, Omotara James, Eduardo Martinez-Leyva
11:00AM-12:10PM Centro NJPAC para la Educación Artística Afaa Michael Weaver, Jessica Ram, Noah Arhm Choi
11:00AM-12:10PM Trinity St.-Philips Jessica Jacobs, Myles Taylor , Raina Leon
11:00AM-12:10PM St. Patricks Pro-cathedral Vincent Toro, Remica Bingham-Risher, J Rose, Erin Marie Lynch
11:00AM-12:10PM Express Newark Todd Davis, Niki Herd, Kween Moore
12:40-1:50PM Prudential Hall
Nuyorican Poets Cafe @ Dodge Poetry (Paul Con Queso, Nancy Mercado, Emanuel Xavier, La Bruja)
12:40-1:50PM Victoria Theater Poetry as Catalyst: Field Notes from Activists (Kazim Ali, Diana Goetsch, Janine Joseph)
12:40-1:50PM Sala de persecución
What We Don’t Talk About (Esther Lin, Roque Raquel Salas Rivera, Haydil Henriquez, Claire Schwartz)
12:40-1:50PM Centro NJPAC para la Educación Artística
Call & Response: Performing and Engaging Audiences (Carlos Andrés Gómez, Tehsaun Glover, Ching-In Chen, Dimitri Reyes)
12:40-1:50PM Trinity St.-Philips
Because We Come from Everything Hosted by Letras Latinas (Carmen Calatayud, Blas Falconer, Diannely Antigua, Naomi Ortiz)
12:40-1:50PM St. Patricks Pro-cathedral Writing Our Land: Environmental Justice(Craig Santos Perez, Ariana Benson, Todd Davis)
12:40-1:50PM Express Newark When the Personal is Political (Cortney Lamar Charleston, Niki Herd, Issam Zineh)
2:10-3:20PM Prudential Hall How History Informs Our Writing (Tyehimba Jess, Nicole Sealey, Vincent Toro, Joshua Bennett)
6:00-7:30PM Victoria Theater Nuyorican presents 2024 SLAM Team

Get your festival pass! – Saturday Pass

Experience the FREE Family Fun Day

Tiempo Ubicación Evento
9:30-10:40AM Prudential Hall
Praise & Reclamation (Mahogany L. Browne, Aracelis Girmay, torrin a greathouse, Marwa Helal, Douglas Kearney, Roque Raquel Salas Rivera, and Afaa Michael Weaver)
11:00AM-12:10PM Sala de persecución Queering the Poem (Kazim Ali, Kathy Kremins, Eduardo Martinez-Leyva, Jessica Jacobs)
11:00AM-12:10PM Trinity St.-Philips
Writing Our Story, Preventing Erasure (Tyehimba Jess, Emanuel Xavier, Carlos Andrés Gómez, Kween Moore)
11:00AM-12:10PM St. Patricks Pro-cathedral
Braggadocious: Boasting Our Roots (Vincent Toro, Dimitri Reyes, Dr. Helena D. Lewis, Tehsaun Glover, Joshua Bennett)
11:00 AM-4:00PM Military Park community catalyst stage
11:00AM-12:10PM Express Newark Cave Canem Presents (Dante Micheaux in conversation with Charif Shanahan and Taylor Johnson)
11:00AM-12:10PM Biblioteca pública de Newark Dodge Poetry in the Community Youth Showcase – RSVP 
11:00AM-12:10PM Clement’s Place Poetry Generative Writing Workshop (Kai Coggin)
11:00AM-12:10PM New Jersey Historical Society Festival Open Mic
12:30-1:40PM Clement’s Place Poetry Generative Writing Workshop (Diana Goetsch)
12:30-1:40PM Sala de persecución Poetry as Catalyst: Field Notes (Salamishah Tillett, Claudia Rankine)
12:30-1:40PM Trinity St.-Philips
To Be Black and Conscious in America, is to be in a Constant State of Rage (Mahogany L. Browne, Douglas Kearney, Niki Herd, Sean Battle)
12:30-1:40PM St. Patricks Pro-cathedral
When the Personal is Political (George Abraham, Ching-In Chen, Haydil Henriquez, Dr. Craig Santos Perez, Remica Binghan-Risher)
12:30-1:40PM Express Newark “A Poet’s Heart is Always Breaking” (John Murillo, Todd Davis, Erin Marie Lynch, Issam Zineh)
2:00-3:10PM Clement’s Place Poetry Generative Writing Workshop (Dimitri Reyes)
2:00-3:10PM Victoria Theater Nikki Giovanni, Javon Jackson, Christian McBride – PURCHASE ADD-ON TICKET
2:00-3:10PM Sala de persecución Disability Visibility (torrin a greathouse, Jessica Ram, Ariana Benson, Naomi Ortiz)
2:00-3:10PM Trinity St.-Philips
Griots, Troubadours, and MC’s: Poetry & the Oral Tradition (Marwa Helal, La Bruja, Imani Cezanne, Joshua Bennett)
2:00-3:10PM St. Patricks Pro-cathedral
Muddy with Ash: Community and Writing (George Abraham, Ashna Ali, Noah Arhm Choi, Gein Wong)
2:00-3:10PM Express Newark
Poetry Foundation Presents: Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellows (Rob Macaisa Colgate, Marissa Davis, Hermelinda Hernandez Monjaras, Chandanie Somwaru and marion eames white)
3:30-4:40PM Clement’s Place Poetry Generative Writing Workshop (Esther Lin)
3:30-4:40PM Sala de persecución
What’s at Stake? Writing Our Truths (Cortney Lamar Charleston, Omotara James, Myles Taylor, Eduardo Martinez, Leyva)
3:30-4:40PM Trinity St.-Philips
Dear Yusef: A Celebration (Nicole Sealey, John Murillo, Dante Micheaux, Yesenia Montilla, Joel Dias-Porter)
3:30-4:40PM Express Newark What We Don’t Talk About (Raina Leon, Kai Coggin, Diana Goetsch, Janine Joseph)
20:00 Prudential Hall Represent! Social Justice through Spoken Word – PURCHASE ADD-ON TICKET
20:00 Victoria Theater
Joan Baez: An Evening of Poetry and Conversation – PURCHASE ADD-ON TICKET

Eventos gratuitos

These events are open to the public and do not require a ticket/festival pass purchase.

Catalyst Open Mic/Mixer

Thursday, October 17, 2024 @ 7:30PM
NICO Kitchen + Bar

young artist day

Friday, October 18, 2024 @ 9AM
NJPAC

family fun day

Saturday, October 19, 2024 @ 11AM
Military Park

Virtual offerings

Check out our virtual sessions below. Please note there may be explicit content.

ADD-ONs

The shows listed below are NOT included in any of the festival passes. These performances require a separate ticket purchase.

Nikki Giovanni, Javon Jackson & Christian McBride

Sábado 19 de octubre de 2024 a las 2 p.m., Victoria Theater

Joan Baez: An Evening of Poetry and Conversation—Christian mcbride host

Sábado, 19 de octubre de 2024 @ 8 p.m. Teatro Victoria

represent! social justice through spoken word—miss jones host

Sábado 19 de octubre de 2024 a las 8 p. m. en Prudential Hall

La interpretación ASL está disponible a pedido para ciertas presentaciones con dos semanas o más de anticipación (solo se proporciona en Prudential Hall y Victoria Theater). Llame al 973-297-5843 de lunes a viernes de 9 a. m. a 5 p. m., o envíe un correo electrónico a ticketservices@njpac.org.