Me and the Massachusetts Poetry Festival

Several months ago I submitted a proposal for a presentation in this year's Massachusetts Poetry Festival. A few days ago I received the good news that my proposal had been accepted. This will be my first time at the festival, and I'm very much looking forward to it. I've heard all good comments about the previous festivals. This year's event will be held May 2 - 4 in Salem.

One of the highlights of the festival is the great lineup of poets. Readings are given throughout the festival. Here's the list of this year's featured poets:

Kim Addonizio • Lucie Brock-Broido • Rafael Campo • Carol Ann Duffy • 

Oliver de la Paz • Cornelius Eady • Rhina Espaillat • Forrest Gander • David Ferry • 

Ilya Kaminsky • Li-Young Lee • Philip Levine • Susan Rich • 

Marge Piercy • Vivian Shipley • C.D. Wright

In addition to readings by these featured poets, there will be a generous selection of panels and group presentations. There will also be a number of workshops which you can sign up for. Although the cost of admission has not yet been posted, it has been incredibly reasonable in the past. There is a minimal additional fee for workshops—last year it was $5.

Called "The Crafty Poet: A Portable Workshop Group Reading," my presentation will bring together several of the poets in the book. I expect this to be a terrific and varied group. A few of these poets contributed model poems, a few contributed Craft Tips, and one contributed a Q&A poem to the book. We will have a mixture of poems and craft chatter. We hope to send our audience home nicely nourished by wonderful poems and fired up to write some new ones.

I don't yet know which date or time slot my presentation will be assigned, but I plan to be in Salem for the entire festival. I've already booked my hotel room for four nights. If you come to the festival, I hope to see you there.

Be sure to frequently check the festival website for updates and the schedule and sign-up information which will soon be posted.