Poets Creating Conversation was an ongoing series of events that invited and challenged poets to circle loosely around a theme or issue in the social discourse.
Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield
Everybody's got something to say. Public education, home school, k-12, college or the lessons that life has dropped on you. In the classroom, out of the classroom, or in the "real" world. Put it in a poem or a rap. The good, the bad or the ugly. Cautionary tales or inspirational stories. By sharing personal stories, observations, moments of inspiration, and hope, we look to create a broad poetic tapestry with a goal that the resulting “conversation” between creative voices will make us stronger and help us find a way forward. You're the poet and it's your truth. Dive in.
Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield
Slice it and dice it anyway you like. Whether you're talking about identity; equity and parity; privilege or pronouns; harassment or assault; cis, trans or non - we all live in, around or beside gender. By sharing personal stories, observations, moments of inspiration, and hope, we look to create a broad poetic tapestry with a goal that the resulting “conversation” between creative voices will make us stronger and help us find a way forward. You're the poet and it's your truth. Dive in.
Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield
The challenge is to use our art to explore and share personal journeys around race and xenophobia - issues that are inexorably wrapped around the history of America and reflected in much of the current discourse. By sharing personal stories, observations, moments of inspiration, and hope, we look to create a broad poetic tapestry with a goal that the resulting “conversation” between creative voices will make us stronger and help us find a way forward. Bear witness, challenge, purge your soul, or celebrate a small victory.
Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield
“[P]risons do not disappear problems, they disappear human beings. And the practice of disappearing vast numbers of people from poor, immigrant, and racially marginalized communities has literally become big business.” - Angela Davis
With an "occupancy guarantee," the Corrections Corporation of America reported $1.9 billion in revenue and a net of $221 million in 2015. The United States locks up more people per capita than any other nation. Combine incarceration with probation and parole, and there are nearly 7 million persons under correctional supervision. Multiply that by friends and family, add in the effects of living in over policed communities, factor in the disproportionate over-representation of black men in this population and there’s a lot to talk about. So poets, take your pen and let’s get to work.
Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield
For this event, the poet’s challenge is to use their art to explore and share personal stories centered around working in America - the challenges, triumphs and realities - from work we love, to work that doesn't love us back.
“Work is about a search for daily meaning as well as daily bread, for recognition as well as cash, for astonishment rather than torpor; in short, for a sort of life rather than a Monday through Friday sort of dying." - Studs Terkel
Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield
We’ve all had good summers and bad summers. There have been summers of love and summers of unrest. It’s summertime and it’s the 10th annual WordXWord Festival, so we’re asking poets to climb the 3 meter board, step off and give us their best splash.
Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield
From fast food to not enough food. Farm stands to factories. Eat this, not that. We’re asking poets to help us sort it out.
Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield
Two days before Halloween we’re asking poets to talk about what REALLY scares us.
The fine print - no personal attacks (if you need to address an individual or specific institution in your work, anonymize it). Poetry, unaccompanied rap or short story - 4 minutes or less. Collaborations (multi-voice pieces) are welcome (encouraged!).
Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield
Faith (noun) fāTH/ - 1) trust or confidence in someone or something; 2) belief in the doctrines of a religion. We’re asking poets to pick their poison or their cure and put a pen to it.
The fine print - no personal attacks (if you need to address an individual or specific institution in your work, anonymize it). Poetry, unaccompanied rap or short story - 4 minutes or less. Collaborations (multi-voice pieces) are welcome (encouraged!).
Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield
For better or worse, there is no place like home (unless you don’t have one). We're asking poets to help put a roof on it.
The fine print - no personal attacks (if you need to address an individual or specific institution in your work, anonymize it). Poetry, unaccompanied rap or short story - 4 minutes or less. Collaborations (multi-voice pieces) are welcome (encouraged!).
Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield
From heart attack to heart throb in the heartland - (don’t) be still my heart. We're asking poets to squeeze verse from vital signs.
The fine print - no personal attacks (if you need to address an individual or specific institution in your work, anonymize it). Poetry, unaccompanied rap or short story - 4 minutes or less. Collaborations (multi-voice pieces) are welcome (encouraged!).
Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield
Here’s to your health, we're asking poets to put a stethoscope squarely on the chest and breathe deeply.
The fine print - no personal attacks (if you need to address an individual or specific institution in your work, anonymize it). Poetry, unaccompanied rap or short story - 4 minutes or less. Collaborations (multi-voice pieces) are welcome (encouraged!).
Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield
Take a breath. Catch your breath. Hold your breath. Out of breath. From first breath to last, poets wrestle with breathing - in America.
The fine print - no personal attacks (if you need to address an individual or specific institution in your work, anonymize it). Poetry, unaccompanied rap or short story - 4 minutes or less. Collaborations (multi-voice pieces) are welcome (encouraged!).
Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield
Poets of a certain age / all ages / ageless, may or may not act their age when we dive into what age means in America. If age is just a number, let’s do the math.
The fine print - no personal attacks (if you need to address an individual or specific institution in your work, anonymize it). Poetry, unaccompanied rap or short story - 4 minutes or less. Collaborations (multi-voice pieces) are welcome (encouraged!).
Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield
From inside and out, over and under, what does it mean to be different in America. What is different and who gets to decide.
The fine print - no personal attacks (if you need to address an individual or specific institution in your work, anonymize it). Poetry, unaccompanied rap or short story - 4 minutes or less. Collaborations (multi-voice pieces) are welcome (encouraged!).
Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield
[Mis]information is raining down 24/7. Poets help us sort it out or - perhaps - just make matters worse. We’re definitely not fact-checking this.
The fine print - no personal attacks (if you need to address an individual or specific institution in your work, anonymize it). Poetry, unaccompanied rap or short story - 4 minutes or less. Collaborations (multi-voice pieces) are welcome (encouraged!).
Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield
Poets tackle the American Dream or poets dream in America. We’ll hold these truths to be self evident.
Keep in mind - no personal attacks (if you need to address an individual or specific institution in your work, anonymize it). Poetry, unaccompanied rap or short story - 3 minutes or less. Collaborations (multi-voice pieces) are welcome (encouraged!).
Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield
In a time when “othering” has been weaponized, poets reflect on the consequences of being othered - the
experience of being seen as “less than” because of race, origin, language, faith, gender, economic status,
sexuality, age, (dis)abilities, (mental) health, etc.
Keep in mind - no personal attacks (if you need to address an individual or specific institution in your work, anonymize it). Poetry, unaccompanied rap or short story - 3 minutes or less. Collaborations (multi-voice pieces) are welcome (encouraged!).
Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield
Poets are invited to reflect - metaphorically, figuratively, or perhaps literally - on all of the “flavors” of America
Keep in mind - no personal attacks (if you need to address an individual or specific institution in your work, anonymize it). Poetry, unaccompanied rap or short story - 3 minutes or less. Collaborations (multi-voice pieces) are welcome (encouraged!).
Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield, MA
As 2019 comes to a close, poets chop off a piece and have at it. Originally scheduled for 12/30, but the weather man had other ideas.
Keep in mind - no personal attacks (if you need to address an individual or specific institution in your work, anonymize it). Poetry, unaccompanied rap or short story - 3 minutes or less. Collaborations (multi-voice pieces) are welcome (encouraged!). .
Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield, MA
More than a math exercise, the 2020 Census will have a profound impact on everything in America, but who's counting and who gets counted. Poets are asked to leave no stone unturned.
February 17, 2020
Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield
In the spirit of She Shapes History, poets give voice to the often overlooked, unvoiced, ways that women have and continue to move the world forward.
We have all known unheralded women who made a difference in our lives and in the world. This is an opportunity for ALL to speak on their behalf.
Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield, MA
Poets are asked to reflect on education in America, from public education to home school; k-12 to college; or the lessons that life drops on us. In the classroom, out of the classroom, or in the "real" world. The good, the bad or the ugly. Cautionary tales and inspirational stories.
February marks the second anniversary of Poets Creating Conversation. To celebrate, we're going to return to where it all began - with Education in America. The first time around, our event followed the shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL Appropriately, poets circled around guns and the conversation about guns in school settings, arming teachers, etc. There's no guarantee, but perhaps this time around, we're hoping that education returns to the center of our circle.
(Poets Creating Conversation)
Via Zoom
TOLD. Standing in forbidden and forgotten at the intersection of banned and uncomfortable.
Notes for poets interested in participating: Poets Creating Conversation challenges you to provoke and bear witness as we circle around a theme (see above). The fine print - no personal attacks (if you need to address an individual or specific institution in your work, anonymize it). Poetry - 3 minutes or less. Be considerate to the other poets, time yourself ahead of time - trim it, edit it, iron out the creases - make it fit (please).
The Mount / Edith Wharton's Home
2 Plunkett Street, Lenox, MA
Free
Falling is autumn’s favorite sport and we’re asking poets to play along. And we’re not necessarily talking about leaves . . .
Falling /ˈfôliNG/
1. moving downward freely without control
2. decreasing in intensity, quality, etc
3. autumn's favorite sport
This event will take place on the lawn in the Dell behind the Stables. Please bring your own chair or blanket.
The Mount / Edith Wharton's Home
2 Plunkett Street, Lenox, MA
Free
We've asked poets to pick a tree or trees - real or imagined - and talk to it. They're poets, they'll figure it out.
This is a “moving” event - taking place along forested paths. We’ll walk together from poet/location to poet/location - and with a little luck the exercise will keep us warm. By hiking standards this event will be on the mild side, but will include unpaved and gentle sloped surfaces.
Entire event takes place outdoors - please dress for the weather.
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WordXWord uses spoken word, poetry and storytelling in shared space and time to celebrate diversity and creativity, empower the individual, foster understanding and empathy, and make real human connections.
All WXW programs are free and open to all. WordXWord Festival, Inc is a 501(C)(3).
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