National Endowment for the Arts  
News Room
 

Second Annual Poetry Pavilion at the National Book Festival

National Endowment for the Arts Sponsors the Poetry Pavilion

September 30, 2004

 

Contact:
Garrick Davis
202-682-5551
 

Washington, D.C. - The National Endowment for the Arts will host a Poetry Pavilion at the National Book Festival on Saturday, October 9th. For the second straight year, poetry will be featured at the Book Festival and the Arts Endowment is pleased to sponsor its roster of artists, in partnership with the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. The fourth annual National Book Festival, sponsored by the Library of Congress and hosted by Mrs. Laura Bush, will be held on the National Mall between 7th and 14th Streets. The festival is free and open to the public.

The Poetry Pavilion will feature 12 poets reading from their collections and discussing their work. The poets come from across the country and represent diverse styles ranging from formal to free verse, from recognized masters to emerging artists. Special sessions will include poetry readings for children. Presentations begin at 10:00 a.m. and continue through 4:00 p.m. (schedule and biographies are attached). The poets also will be available to sign books.

Arts Endowment Chairman Dana Gioia said, "Poetry is our most concise, memorable, and expressive way of using words. At the most profound moments in our lives -- births, weddings, deaths, and funerals -- people turn to poetry to find language strong enough to bear the weight of their experiences. To recognize the importance of poetry in our culture, the NEA is proud to support a special Poetry Pavilion at the National Book Festival." Chairman Gioia, an award-winning poet, will host the Poetry Pavilion and read selections of classic American poetry at 12:00 p.m.

The schedule for the Poetry Pavilion is:

10:00 – 10:30:

Natasha Trethewey

10:30 – 11:00:

Suji Kwock Kim

11:00 – 11:30:

H. L. Hix

11:30 – 12:00:

William Jay Smith

12:00 – 12:45:

Dana Gioia and David Lehman

12:45 – 1:30:

Ted Kooser (U. S. Poet Laureate)

1:30 – 2:00:

R. S. Gwynn

2:00 – 2:30:

Linda Pastan

2:30 – 3:00:

Timothy Murphy

3:00 – 3:30:

Shirley Geok-Lin Lim

3:30 – 4:00:

Benjamin Sáenz

Please see author biographies.

For more information on the National Book Festival, go to http://www.loc.gov/bookfest/


Return to News Index