Welcome to Poetry & Politics

The first-ever gathering of the nation’s state poets laureate.

Poets representing twenty states, plus prominent politicians, educators, theologians, civic leaders, and members of the media will gather in New Hampshire on Friday, April 25 and Saturday, April 26, 2003, for a groundbreaking discussion of the role of poetry in our communities and its ability to affect social, political, and cultural change.

Our aim is to provide a forum for a lively exchange of information, ideas, and concerns that will address the sometimes controversial role of the poet laureate and place of the poet in contemporary society.

Designed as a full weekend of interconnected activities, Poetry and Politics includes a statewide poetry reading tour, a one-day conference, and a gala dinner with special guest poet and critic Dana Gioia, newly appointed chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts.

The intended audience for Poetry and Politics is large and inclusive—the nation’s poets laureate and the citizenry—politicians, civic and religious leaders, teachers, writers, students, and members of the media. By bringing free public poetry readings to people where they live, work, and play, we hope to reach as broad an audience as possible, making poetry accessible to people who might not ordinarily encounter poetry in their daily routines.

We hope the issues raised in our discussions will serve to ignite further exploration of the poet's public role. This weekend will provide a place to begin conversations which should continue, in one form or another, for years. It is our hope that this Web site will serve as a home for these thoughts, information, and ideas.

Poetry and Politics is a collaborative project that is being produced by the New Hampshire Writers' Project in association with the Academy of American Poets and the State of New Hampshire, through the Department of Cultural Resources, with funding support from Jefferson Pilot Financial, Verizon, the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, the New Hampshire Humanities Council and the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts.