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The Conference: Nations of the Mind

The Poetry and Politics: Nations of the Mind conference on Saturday, April 26 at the Highlander Inn in Manchester, NH, is open to anyone who is interested, but may have special interest for writers, teachers, politicians, students, and members of the media. Your registration fee includes a continental breakfast, box lunch, conference materials, and your choice of a morning and afternoon panel.

 

conference schedule

  • 8 am Breakfast and registration
  • 9 am Opening remarks with Maxine Kumin
  • 9:30 am Morning panels begin
  • Noon Lunch
  • 1 pm Afternoon panels begin
  • 3 pm Closing remarks

panel discussions

There will be seven panel discussions during the Nations of the Mind conference. Click on the links below for more information on the panels and panelists.

Poet as Citizen
Poetry and Community
Poetry, the Brain and Human Creativity
Poetry and Education
Poetry and the Media
Poets and Politicians
Poetry and the Spirit: Ancient Mantras, Health and Healing

why "nations of the mind"?

Poetry is as large as politics, as large as the human mind and the human soul. Christopher Clausen, in his book The Place of Poetry, writes: "No discerning reader has ever taken Frost's New England or Yeats's Ireland for real countries. Both are nations of the mind, conceived and presented with a vividness and coherence that make them illuminate the less realized countries that lie about us."

Poetry provides a framework through which we can view every aspect of our existence. In the classroom, in the public place, in the hospital, or in the community center, poetry can teach us about ourselves in a way that transforms perspective, heals hurts, builds connections between people, even builds pathways between the parts of ourselves that do not seem to connect with one another.

 

 

conference goals

In planning Poetry and Politics, we have often been asked,"why poetry?" and "why poetry and politics?" Poetry is one of the most powerful art forms for unscrambling the complex experiences we find too difficult to face in other ways, teaching us things we did not know we knew about ourselves and the world around us. Both poetry and politics touch all aspects of our lives—our relationships, our problems, our hopes for the future.

Poetry and Politics: Nations of the Mind was developed with the following purposes in mind:

•To use the lens of poetry to view politics as public discourse and as community expression.

•To deepen appreciation for writing and writers among key decision-makers by examining the profound influence poetry can have on public understanding of contemporary issues.

•To explore the historical connections between writing and politics as the state and nation gear up for the 2004 Presidential Primary—highlighting New Hampshire’s prominent role in national politics and its history as a model of participatory democracy.

•To shine a national spotlight on New Hampshire’s rich literary traditions by providing residents in dozens of New Hampshire towns with a rare opportunity to listen to and meet with the country’s top poets.

•To increase interest in politics among New Hampshire writers and citizens, promoting engagement in and discourse about the democratic process.

•To understand the connections between our literary and political traditions, exploring the power of language to shape our futures.

•To serve as a model of collaboration among nonprofit, public, and private partners, and to build and strengthen social capital among individuals and institutions—including poets and writers from across the country, partnering organizations, and New Hampshire leaders in government, business, journalism, and the arts.

•To unite the nation’s poets laureate for the first time and to expose New Hampshire poets and writers to a statewide and national audience.

 

  
 

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