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O, : How A Festival Infused A City With Poetry An in-depth report on the inaugural festival.

Written by Brett Sokol, edited by Judy J. Miller

www.knightarts.org/omiami

O, Miami: How A Festival Infused A City With Poetry 1

About the Reporter Contents Analysis Series The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation commissions independent journalists to write occasional articles reviewing its grant making Part One 4 and program strategies. Veteran reporters Setting The Scene For Miami’s examine grant documents, conduct interviews Arts Explosion and offer their perspective on the lessons learned and impact of Knight-supported Miami Arts Timeline projects in stories published online and in print. Part Two 7 This report was written by Brett Sokol, the arts editor at Ocean Drive magazine. Brett’s writing Building A Better Poetry Festival on Miami’s cultural scene has also appeared in O, Miami Event Schedule The New York Times, New York magazine, The Miami Herald and Slate. Part Three 13 This report is edited by Judy J. Miller, who Up In The Sky! It’s A Bird, It’s oversaw Pulitzer Prize winning coverage A Plane, It’s Poetry! while serving as managing editor of The Miami Herald. She is a former president of Investigative Reporters and Editors. For more information visit knightfoundation.org.

O, Miami: How A Festival Infused A City With Poetry 3 Part One Setting The Scene for Miami’s Arts Explosion

“There’s a line from James Joyce which always public imagination for a moment in 1983 with cultural organizations. The Miami City stays with me,” explains Alberto Ibargüen, their Surrounded Islands — encircling eleven and the New World Symphony both offered president of the John S. and James L. Knight Biscayne Bay islands with over six miles of stellar performances, but also seemed like the Foundation. It’s a snippet he reminds himself hot-pink fabric. Yet that delightful rupture with city’s best kept secrets. True, the Miami Book of whenever a sea of incoming data and reality was soon overshadowed by the return Fair grew in size, scope, and stature — but its policy papers begins to blur Knight’s central of Miami’s status as a city with one of the success only threw the surrounding terrain mission of promoting “informed and engaged” highest murder rates in the country: It was into stark relief: Tens of thousands turned out communities. Scarface which symbolized Miami in the popular for the Book Fair each November, so where imagination, not free-thinking artístes. were these enthused intellectuals the rest “Yes, the newspapers were right: Snow was of the year? general that day in Ireland’,” Ibargüen recites, “I want people to say art quoting from Joyce’s 1914 short story The Within the visual arts community, the mood Dead, in which a surprise blanket of white was general in Miami.” was particularly beleaguered. Despite some suddenly seems both otherworldly and as outstanding exhibitions, the two major ubiquitous as the air itself. And the line’s In the nineties it was the renaissance of South museums — the Miami Art Museum and the present-day signifi cance? “I want people Beach from an Art Deco slum into “Soho by Museum of Contemporary Art — struggled to say art was general in Miami.” the Sea,” which grabbed headlines. But amidst to build permanent collections and faithful all the fl ashbulb-lit partying, it was hard to audiences. And regardless of their talent, Ten years ago, such a wish would likely have tell what truly meaningful cultural activities artists found it nearly impossible to earn a inspired a round of snickers — not least from were unfolding. Meanwhile, across the Bay, a living from their art. Instead, they were Miamians themselves. South was new wave of Cuban-exiles staked their own forced to either land teaching jobs or leave internationally renowned for a host of dubious cultural claims on the city. But those efforts town for economically greener pastures. accomplishments — from surreal political often became painfully entangled with political scandals to a louche nightlife. But a thriving tensions over supposed affi nities with the Then in December 2002 came Art Basel Miami arts scene? Castro regime across the Florida Straits. Beach, the sprawling American offshoot of its Swiss-based art fair parent, and an annual Indeed, for decades it seemed like Miami just That same two-steps-forward, one-step-back event which quickly became an essential visit couldn’t catch a break. Artists Christo and his spirit held sway over Miami’s established for art afi cionados around the globe. In the wife Jeanne-Claude certainly captured the

Part One: Setting the Scene for Miami’s Arts Explosion O, Miami: How A Festival Infused A City With Poetry 4 decade since Basel’s arrival, Miami has “Art Basel acted as a fulcrum to grab people’s What he eventually envisioned moved evolved from an art world backwater into the attention,” observes Campbell McGrath, dramatically beyond the University of “next” art city, surpassing Chicago as the a Miami Beach-based poet, MacArthur ’s playfully unorthodox readings. most exciting hotbed between Los Angeles Foundation Genius Grant winner, and professor Spurred on by a Knight Foundation arts grant, and New York. of English at Florida International University. Cunningham brainstormed a project which “There’s this huge grass-roots energy now.” would not only be a “world-class” event in itself, Sparked by Basel’s spotlight, early supporters McGrath has watched several of his students but transformational for Miami writ large. His such as Paul and Estelle Berg, Irma and attempt to harness and focus that energy — idea? O, Miami — a poetry festival as wry in tone Norman Braman, Rosa and Carlos de la Cruz, including P. Scott Cunningham. and all encompassing in scope as its very name, Martin Margulies, Craig Robins, and Mera and one which would attempt to, with a nod to Joyce, Don Rubell, were all joined by an expanded A Boca Raton native, Cunningham says when he make poetry general throughout the city. base of global collectors — actively buying the left for college in Connecticut in 1996, he had work of emerging Miami artists while fi nancially no intention of ever returning to : “O, Miami will change Miami’s attitude toward supporting the scene-at-large. These days, “I could never have lived in the Miami of 1996 poetry,” Cunningham wrote in a Knight Miami artists are not only sinking roots — — it felt so far away from everything.” When grant proposal. “We will reposition poetry as they’re being joined by New York transplants he returned in 2003, kicking and screaming, an interdisciplinary fi eld with relevance to looking to kickstart their own careers. and only to accommodate his then-girlfriend’s mainstream culture. The project is crucial career, he was amazed to see how drastically because the city, despite all the excellent work In the decade since Basel’s the post-Basel cultural landscape had shifted. it’s done so far, still needs to shake its identity “You want to be proud of things happening in as a place where world-class cultural events arrival, Miami has evolved your city,” he says — and what was unfolding don’t occur on a regular basis. By being at the from an art world backwater in Miami was not only something he could take forefront of this new event, Miami will take a into the “next” art city pride in, it was a milieu he wanted to be a part leadership role in the poetry world, which will of. Cunningham’s romantic relationship have a positive and reverberating effect on every only lasted a few months, but he decided aspect of our cultural life.” However, as important as these newfound to stick around. opportunities for artists are (not to mention A grandiose notion? Did the local literati — the millions of dollars pumped into the After receiving his MFA from FIU in 2008, even sympathetic ones — really think Miami city’s hotels, restaurants, and overall Cunningham launched his own poetry-focused could grab the poetry world by the lapels of its infrastructure come Basel-time), there have faux-school, the University of Wynwood, tweed blazer and steer it in a fresh direction? been equally monumental ripples beyond the which stages colorfully offbeat events in Cunningham counters with a chuckle, “ “I can art world. Miamians of all strata have begun the geographic heart of Miami’s art scene, do things here that haven’t been done. It might looking at their city in an entirely new light refl ecting Cunningham’s desire to take be easier in Los Angeles or San Francisco — — and they love what they see: A burg where contemporary poetry far from its academic the audience and infrastructure would already creative ferment is the new normal. comfort zone. be waiting for it. But it wouldn’t feel as exciting or necessary.”

Part One: Setting the Scene for Miami’s Arts Explosion O, Miami: How A Festival Infused A City With Poetry 5 Miami Arts Timeline This timeline depicts art and cultural events in Miami leading up to the launch of the O, Miami festival

Christo and Jeanne-Claude Miami City Ballet Founded 1983 stage Surrounded Islands in the 1984 1985 Biscayne Bay Miami Book Fair and Miami Film New World Symphony Festival launch 1994 founded 1991 1988 Winter Music Conference, Rubell Family spotlighting electronic Collection opens dance music, moves to to the public Miami Art Museum Miami Beach 1995 1996 and Museum of Contemporary Art Cafe Nostalgia, a nightclub both open Margulies Collection at the featuring live music from Warehouse opens to the public recent Cuban-exiles, opens 1999 in New World Center 2002 2009 2011 opens, home to the New World Symphony as well 2001 Debut of Art Basel An expanded Borscht as featured events with Wynwood Art Walks begin Miami Beach Film Festival relocates the debuts of O, Miami en mass to the Gusman Center

O, Miami: How A Festival Infused A City With Poetry 6 Part Two Building A Better Poetry Festival

“We wanted to saturate the city with poetry, show, most of the people there aren’t painters — “We live in a world that is hyper-saturated with to create moments of rupture in someone’s they’re people who dig art.” By way of contrast, text. It’s all around you, all the time, whether day,” says P. Scott Cunningham, explaining he invokes New Jersey’s biannual Geraldine it’s being online, using Twitter, or sending a the charged mission of his O, Miami poetry R. Dodge Poetry Festival. In terms of sheer text message. If the purpose of art is to provide festival. For its month-long debut in April crowd size, he continues, it’s a success. “But refl ection, or to get us to slow down and rethink 2011, the ambitious goal was nothing less than even at the Dodge, where 20,000 people attend, things, poetry is the thing that does that for text. introducing every single one of greater Miami’s I’d suggest that over 18,000 are either poets It tries to fi nd meaning, to make the familiar 2.5 million residents to a poem. or wannabe poets. If you went to the opera strange, and the strange somewhat familiar.” and everyone in the audience was dressed up “We wanted the festival to reach people who — The way to broaden poetry’s appeal, even if they saw a poetry reading advertised — “We wanted the festival to Cunningham reasons, is to step outside of would never, ever go to it.” reach people who — even its traditional channels. “We didn’t want to just rally the existing if they saw a poetry reading Cunningham’s own love of poetry is a testament audience,” Cunningham says. “That would to this stealth approach. He dates his own be unsatisfying.” Moreover, with a grant from advertised — would never, passion for the form with discovering a Billy Knight Foundation in hand, Cunningham ever go to it.” Collins poem on the wall inside a Manhattan wanted to fully embrace Knight’s ethos of subway car during the late 90s — part of “recontextualizing art for a new audience.” Of as Brunhilda, or if you went to the ballet and the Poetry Society of America’s “Poetry in course, fi nding a new local audience for poetry everyone in the audience had their tutus on, Motion” project. (“I like this idea of being wasn’t simply an option — it was a necessity. that’s the real trouble with American poetry.” ambushed by poetry before you can get out your anti-poetry defl ector shields,” says Collins, Miami’s die-hard poetry crowd was far too small Which begs the question: Given poetry’s a society vice-president.) to support a traditionally-modeled festival. hermetically-sealed state, why even bother “The poetry world has expanded dramatically, funding a full-fl edged Miami poetry festival? With that example in mind, Cunningham but it’s still a closed circuit,” observes Billy Why not simply add a few more poets to the reached out to a brain trust which included Collins, a former U.S. poet laureate and already-established annual Miami Book Fair? Miami Beach poet and Florida International arguably the most commercially successful Those are fi ghting words for Cunningham. University professor Campbell McGrath, poet and Fulbright Scholarship Board chairman poet writing today. “If you go to a hip art gallery “Poetry matters now more than ever,” he insists.

Part Two: Building a Better Poetry Festival O, Miami: How A Festival Infused A City With Poetry 7 Tom Healy, and Miami Book Fair Co-Founder built-in audiences. “By bringing James Franco,” still people who want to interact with writers.” Mitchell Kaplan. They pondered how to present Cunningham says, referring to an O, Miami As proof he notes the record-size crowds for unorthodox events while still spotlighting the event with the Hollywood actor cum avant- the Miami Book Fair, even as national pundits best the poetry world had to offer, how to, as garde poet, “we were able to trick people into tell us that devoted readers are all supposedly Knight Foundation Vice President of Arts Dennis listening to Tony Hoagland’s poetry. Which cocooning at home with their Kindles. Scholl quipped, “take the orchestra out of the worked.” (Indeed, Hoagland captivated the pit and into the streets.” audience and made a number of new fans that The key would seem to be harnessing the night.) Likewise, for a collaboration between power of a spectacle, utilizing Miami’s love of The key would seem to be harnessing the power poet Anne Carson and the Merce Cunningham glitz to break through poetry’s “closed circuit.” of a spectacle, utilizing Miami’s love of glitz to Dance Company. Carson may be a critically- In that respect, O, Miami more than delivered. break through poetry’s “closed circuit.” Over the course of its forty-three one-time- The key would seem to only events and twenty-six ongoing, month-long Not least, they wanted to ensure audiences projects, there were poems in the sky, pulled would actually show up. “We wanted the festival be harnessing the power of by planes and dropped by a helicopter; poems to be high-quality,” Cunningham says, “but also a spectacle, utilizing Miami’s surreptitiously sewn inside clothes in thrift reach people who — even if they saw a poetry stores; poems emblazoned on the wall inside reading advertised — would never, ever go to it.” love of glitz to break through the Design District’s much-loved Michael’s “The problem with poetry is that it’s expected poetry’s “closed circuit.” restaurant, as well as plastered on the side to be in a lecture hall or in a bar with an open of nearly eight hundred buses; poems mic,” Healy says. “There’s a fairly small group acclaimed fi gure, but “the Merce Cunningham composed inside correctional facilities and of people who are interested in coming to that, name has a certain cachet that poetry doesn’t.” outside schools; poems inserted amidst the especially if it feels like it’s going to be work: fl ora and fauna of the Fairchild Tropical Botanic ‘Uh-oh, we’ve got to take our medicine.’ The Art Basel’s example also loomed large, Garden; and not least, poems featured at idea was to have poetry go fi nd its audience, particularly with its ability to present avant- readings from Wynwood to . rather than have the audience come fi nd it.” garde art as simultaneously enlightening and accessible. On that note, Campbell McGrath It’s hard to quantify just exactly how many of Healy suggested O, Miami embrace multi- stressed the importance of avoiding anything Miami-Dade county’s residents encountered disciplinary events to “change the atmosphere,” that smacked of the classroom or the Ivory a poem over the course of the month. But if whether via injecting poetry into a modern Tower — poetry’s more familiar home. Similarly, O, Miami missed a few verse-phobic folks, it dance concert, working amidst an art Mitchell Kaplan believed O, Miami needed to certainly wasn’t for lack of trying. installation, or simply serving an evening meal feel less like an educational journey and more at an outdoor, waterfront restaurant. “Putting “like an event!” food and poetry together is brilliant — you’re got people comfortable and then you’re in a place “Everybody’s talking about the death of where it’s a quintessentially Miami experience.” everything — the death of the book, the death of the literary scene,” Kaplan sighs. “But there are Moreover, such fusions come with their own

Part Two: Building a Better Poetry Festival O, Miami: How A Festival Infused A City With Poetry 8 O, Miami Events

April 1-8, 2011 April 9-15, 2011

4.1.2011 4.5.2011 4.7.2011 4.9.2011 O, Pening Ceremony Sir Archibald Whistler Presents NOX Dérive Miami The festival’s opening ceremony. The Honest Liars Club Poet Anne Carson reads from her latest Visitors explore Wynwood on foot and ADRIENNE ARSHT CENTER Florida International University’s Creative book, Nox, accompanied by dancers from write poems about their experiences. 1300 BISCAYNE BLVD., MIAMI Writing department’s reading series, the Merce Cunningham Dance Company. Afterward, an online map of the routes featuring graduating MFA students. MOORE BUILDING taken (and poems written) is created 4040 NE 2ND AVE., MIAMI by Billy Friebele. 4.1.2011 LUNA STAR CAFE Eating Our Words 775 NE 125TH ST., NORTH MIAMI WYNWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD OF MIAMI 4.8.2011 Los Angeles’s Eating Our Words comes to Miami for a traditional Cuban pig roast 4.6.2011 STACKS 4.9.2011 accompanied by a poetry reading with New World Symphony | Inside A second night of collaborations between Abe’s Penny Live Activation Tracy K. Smith. the Music poet Anne Carson and modern dancers. Events BOATER’S GRILL A special edition of the New World MOORE BUILDING Experimental performances combining 1200 CRANDON BLVD., KEY BISCAYNE Symphony’s “Inside the Music” series, 4040 NE 2ND AVE., MIAMI poetry with performance. focusing on the nexus of poetry, art and NWSA ARTSEEN GALLERY 4.1.2011 music. 2215 NW 2ND AVE., MIAMI Tigertail Wordspeak NEW WORLD CENTER PERFORMANCE HALL New Orleans-based poet Sunni Patterson 500 17TH ST., MIAMI BEACH 4.9.2011 performs. God Loves Poetry BOOKS & BOOKS 4.6.2011 God Loves Poetry turn hate-speech 265 ARAGON AVE., CORAL GABLES Wine Down Wednesday into positive, funny, and often poignant Oscar Fuentes and his jazz combo poems. 4.2.2011 perform at a special O, Miami edition of BOOKS & BOOKS Abe’s Penny Live HistoryMiami’s Wine Down Wednesdays 265 ARAGON AVE., CORAL GABLES Abe’s Penny Live hosts an exhibition from party. four Miami photographers, with visitors HISTORYMIAMI 4.10.2011 writing personal responses to the work. 101 WEST FLAGLER ST., MIAMI The Hedgehog and the Fox Also featuring poetry readings by Denise Phong Bui, publisher of the Brooklyn Duhamel and Gabby Calvocoressi. Rail, speaks on the topic of Diderot’s NWSA ARTSEEN GALLERY Selected Letters. 2215 NW 2ND AVE., MIAMI LESTER’S BAR 2519 NW 2ND AVE., MIAMI

9 April 16-22, 2011

4.11.2011 4.13.2011 4.16.2011 4.21.2011 Poem Drop Artist’s Talk: Sam Winston O, Miami Medial Caesura Miami Poets Soirée Poems (on bio-degradable paper) are Artist Sam Winston gives a talk about his A celebration hosted by Miami’s chapter dropped from the sky. text-based works and process. 1 WASHINGTON AVE., MIAMI BEACH of the Florida State Poets Association. CORAL GABLES RICHTER LIBRARY PINECREST BRANCH LIBRARY 231 SANTILLANE AVE. 1300 MEMORIAL DRIVE, CORAL GABLES 4.16.2011 5835 SW 111TH ST. & PINECREST Sweatstock 4.13.2011 Folgar and Lapin read onstage between 4.21.2011 4.11.2011 Heebster CHAIku rock bands performing at the Sweatstock Cinema Sounds Craft Talk: Energy & Vision in An evening of live music and Jewish- music festival. Poetry trailers screen while poet the Poetic Line themed original poetry. SWEAT RECORDS Abel Folgar reads. 5505 NE 2ND AVE, MIAMI Poet Dennis Hinrichsen presents a NEXT@19 O CINEMA talk on using the poetic line to engage TEMPLE ISRAEL, 137 NE 19TH ST., MIAMI 90 NW 29TH ST., MIAMI the reader. 4.17.2011 Flower of Life 4.22.2011 BAS FISHER INVITATIONAL 4.14.2011 180 39TH ST., MIAMI A live performance from artist Eliza AIRIE @ The Fairchild Poetry Everywhere Bishop focusing on the natural landscape. Poets from the Everglades National 4.12.2011 Liam Callanan, of Poetry Everywhere, CASALIN Park’s artists residency program read Young Translators and poet Campbell McGrath host an 55 NW 30TH ST., MIAMI their work. evening of video screenings, readings, Miami-based poets and translators and discussions dedicated to poetry in the FAIRCHILD TROPICAL BOTANIC GARDEN 4.19.2011 10901 OLD CUTLER RD., CORAL GABLES read their works in Spanish, English, public sphere. and Portuguese. Locals Reading MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC LIBRARY Local poets read from their newest books. 4.22.2011 NWSA ARTSEEN GALLERY 101 WEST FLAGLER ST., MIAMI 2215 NW 2ND AVE., MIAMI NWSA ARTSEEN GALLERY Film Screening: Poetry 4.15.2011 2215 NW 2ND AVE., MIAMI MIAMI BEACH CINEMATHEQUE 4.13.2011 1130 WASHINGTON AVE., MIAMI BEACH Writing the Room Now Taste This - Reading 4.20.2011 Carol Todaro leads a group of local poets Dinner accompanied by poetry readings and artists in live performances. Argentinian Avant-Garde 4.22.2011 focusing on restaurants and food. Bilingual talk and reading with leading ARTCENTER/ SOUTH FLORIDA fi gures of the modern Buenos Aires Aberrant Language and the BLT STEAK AT THE BETSY HOTEL 800 LINCOLN RD., MIAMI BEACH 1440 OCEAN DRIVE, MIAMI BEACH poetry scene. Design of Everydayness MOCA NORTH MIAMI Matthew Abess discusses the 770 NE 125TH ST., NORTH MIAMI Wolfsonian’s exhibition and its relation to the language of everyday life. THE WOLFSONIAN-FIU 1001 WASHINGTON AVENUE, MIAMI BEACH

10 April 23-30, 2011

4.23.2011 4.28.2011 4.30.2011 Borscht Film Festival Opium Magazine’s Literary Poetry in the Park ADRIENNE ARSHT CENTER Death Match Outdoor poetry performances with a live 1300 BISCAYNE BLVD., MIAMI Celebrity judges rate local performers low-power radio broadcast. in a literary talent show. LINCOLN PARK 4.24.2011 500 17TH ST., MIAMI BEACH PURDY LOUNGE Poets of the Unreeled: 1811 PURDY AVE., MIAMI BEACH Outdoor Movietelling 4.30.2011 Poets perform their own scripts 4.29.2011 US Poet Laureate Reading to excerpts from famous fi lms, TV Poetry in the Park A bi-lingual reading with the current U.S. episodes, and music videos. Outdoor poetry performances with a live Poet Laureate, W.S. Merwin and Mexican THE DORSCH GALLERY low-power radio broadcast. poet Carla Faesle 151 NW 24TH ST., MIAMI LINCOLN PARK NEW WORLD CENTER 500 17TH ST., MIAMI BEACH 500 17TH ST., MIAMI BEACH 4.26.2011 Abe’s Penny Live Closing 4.29.2011 Local poets write poems in response Poetry & Persona to a photography exhibition; Raffa Jo Readings exploring the world of performs. contemporary poetry. NWSA ARTSEEN GALLERY NEW WORLD CENTER 2215 NW 2ND AVE., MIAMI 500 17TH ST., MIAMI BEACH

4.27.2011 4.29.2011 Poetry & Poesia Broken Social Spam Bilingual poetry readings in Spanish Spoken-word records are at the center and English. of the night’s live musical mix. NEW WORLD CENTER PURDY LOUNGE 500 17TH ST., MIAMI BEACH 1811 PURDY AVE., MIAMI BEACH

4.28.2011 4.30.2011 Yale Anthology of Rap Poetry & Violence Poets and MCs share a reading of lyrics A discussion and reading of poetry and poems, celebrating the nexus of dealing with politically-inspired violence. poetry and rap. NEW WORLD CENTER NEW WORLD CENTER 500 17TH ST., MIAMI BEACH 500 17TH ST., MIAMI BEACH

11

Part Three Up In the Sky! It’s a Bird, It’s A Plane, It’s Poetry!

The Ferrari said it all. If you were looking to of a Biscayne Boulevard fast-food restaurant Tellingly, for out-of-town correspondents make a dramatic statement that O, Miami was a — where he made a new poetry devotee out trying to get a handle on O, Miami’s offbeat very different kind of poetry festival — irreverent, of a Checkers employee with a performance take on all things poetry, the city of Miami playfully subversive, and not least, steeped in of Robert Frost’s “Nothing Gold Can Stay.” featured as prominently in their stories as the often blindingly over-the-top spirit of South “Victory!” he laughs. any of the festival’s actual programming. Florida — what better way than Which, in the eyes of both festival director to put one of your featured poets behind the Though family commitments forced P. Scott Cunningham and the sponsoring wheel of a gleaming red convertible Ferrari, Landsberger, a 2010 MFA graduate of Florida Knight Foundation, is precisely the point. hand him a bullhorn, and then have him International University, to return to his native literally proclaim his poems to the streets? Chicago, he is scheming for a way to relocate “What O, Miami brought to the picture was to the sub-tropics – and not just to escape the realization of Miami’s cultural promise,” “I appreciate the typical wine-and-cheese the snow. explains Knight Foundation Vice President of poetry reading, but that’s so stale,” explains Arts Dennis Scholl. “The fact that it was so well Dave Landsberger, the Ferrari-driving poet in “What O, Miami brought to the received says as much about the evolution of question. “Let the younger poets do younger, picture was the realization of Miami’s arts scene as it does about O, Miami weirder things. Let the older poets do the itself.” more reverent things. There’s a place for both — Miami’s cultural promise.” and that’s why O, Miami was such a success.” This is more than just cheerleading on the “You can go to Miami, participate in the arts part of the city’s boosters. Mitchell Kaplan, Landsberger certainly did his part to make a community, and really feel like something is who co-founded the Miami Book Fair in 1984, splash for the festival’s debut outing, drawing a happening,” Landsberger says. “You don’t feel recalls all too well the distance traveled since crowd as he double-parked his rented Ferrari like something is happening in Chicago — it’s then. In his own fair’s early days, he met alongside , reading out one of his already happened. You’re just adding to it. But constant resistance while trying to book top- own poems, but only allowing himself to bask in Miami, you’re getting in on the ground fl oor.” notch writers. He was after Pulitzer-winners; briefl y in the resulting applause — he spotted a New York publishers heard the word Miami curious police offi cer approaching. From there Indeed, helping to nurture a sense of city- and instead suggested Kaplan showcase their he roared up to an impromptu reading in the wide creative ferment, a palpable feeling that diet book authors and exercise gurus. “No parking lot of a North Miami Beach Wal-Mart, “something is happening,” may be O, Miami’s one thought there was an audience for serious and then back to the drive-through window greatest achievement in its fi rst year. literature here,” he sighs.

Part Three: Up In The Sky! It’s A Bird, It’s A Plane, It’s Poetry! O, Miami: How A Festival Infused A City With Poetry 13 still hanging on the racks at thrift stores, were Cunningham wrote of hoping to “reposition hardly intended to sway mass audiences. They poetry as an interdisciplinary fi eld,” one that Dispelling that intellectual skepticism — at made most of their poetry converts one or two would inject itself into the heart of Miami’s home as well as in Manhattan — didn’t happen bystanders at a time. Yet those two projects arts arena. He’s certainly well on his way to overnight. Which makes Kaplan all the more subsequently garnered more national — and achieving that aim — twenty of the festival’s impressed by O, Miami’s out-of-the-gate high international — attention than all of O, Miami’s forty-three events were joint ventures with profi le. The secret to South Florida success? other events combined. Woodgate credits local arts institutions, a mutually benefi cial “You’ve got to make it an event!” Kaplan insists. the subsequent attention, from viral videos arrangement in which each partner brought To be sure, Cunningham took a cue from Art to a glowing write-up in England’s new audiences to the other. “The cross- Basel, whose positioning as a spectacle draws infl uential Guardian daily newspaper, with pollination was really good,” says Wolfsonian- countless folks who rarely set foot inside FIU museum director Cathy Leff. “It’s a model Miami’s art museums. Cunningham went for a “Readings need to be the of how you can get people to work together similar approach, largely eschewing traditional anchor of the month. But at under a big umbrella.” The Wolfsonian’s lecture lecture-hall readings, instead hosting an at- on the language of radical design, delivered by times bewildering schedule of forty-three the same time, we want to its own curator (and part-time poet) Matthew one-time-only events and twenty-six ongoing cultivate an audience for the Abess, not only drew a full house of 110, it was projects which stretched across the month pegged to a museum exhibit of Futurist and of April. It may have been too much of a projects and make poetry Constructivist poetry. “It allowed us to show the good thing. come alive.” relevance of our collection and how it can relate to other arts,” says Leff. “We did too many events,” admits Cunningham. changing her career. “We were worried about spreading events too An event with two avant-garde Argentine poets thin, that most folks would only be able to go to “There’s nothing better than a well-read poem,” at the Museum of Contemporary Art met with one big one — which is actually what happened.” says Cunningham. “Readings need to be the a similarly warm reception from that museum’s For the bi-annual festival’s second edition in anchor of the month. But at the same time, we then-associate curator Ruba Katrib, who April 2013, Cunningham still plans want to cultivate an audience for the projects foresees O, Miami becoming a “glue” between to keep the overall length at a month, “but and make poetry come alive.” local arts organizations. heavy at the ends. Most of the middle of the So, in preparing for the next O, Miami, what are One poetry fusion Cunningham is particularly month will be project-based. Any event, no the lessons learned? What worked well? What proud of was O, Miami’s modern dance matter how successful, is still reaching a few needs to be tweaked? With $175,000 in fi nancial performances — Nox and Stax, which featured hundred at best. And then it’s gone. Whereas support from Knight for 2013, how can the New York’s Merce Cunningham Dance Company the projects had much more traction online.” festival get the most “bang” — programming- and the celebrated poet Anne Carson. Though Case in point: Both Poetry Ferrari and Poetry wise and promotionally — for its “buck”? the pair didn’t come cheap. Even with its Design District performance space donated by landlord Tags, in which Miami artist Agustina Woodgate In his original Knight grant proposal, secretly sewed short poems inside clothing Craig Robins, the two events still required

Part Three: Up In The Sky! It’s A Bird, It’s A Plane, It’s Poetry! O, Miami: How A Festival Infused A City With Poetry 14 Knight to add an additional $55,000 torture at the hands of the Pinochet regime in Of course, nothing helps marketing like the to its original 2011 festival grant of $250,000. Chile. The subject matter may initially seem strategic deployment of a celebrity. Such was With only ninety-three attendees at Nox and like a tough sell. But Miami is a city which, all the thinking behind O, Miami’s booking of eighty at Stacks, that works out to quite a too sadly, is intimately familiar with the legacy actor James Franco. On paper, it was an sizable cost per head. of political violence — as several generations inspired move: Franco holds a unique position of exiles from Latin America and the Caribbean as an object of fascination to both Hollywood “If you look at it that way, the numbers will never can attest. With the right promotion, the event’s and the avant-garde precincts of the art add up,” Cunningham says. “Unless you’re turnout should’ve been standing room-only, a world, simultaneously co-hosting the Academy doing Broadway, dance is never going judgment Cunningham agrees with. Awards and fi lming his own experimental to be [cost-effective].” But he sees both Nox shorts, pursuing an MFA in art at Yale in and Stax as being stellar in caliber, and a “We need to believe in our own programming,” between major studio movie shoots, and writing vital ingredient in — as he wrote in his original he says. “We were afraid it wouldn’t reach a his own verse under the tutelage of one of proposal — helping Miami “to shake its larger audience, so we didn’t try to reach a poetry’s most respected names, Tony Hoagland. identity as a place where world class cultural larger audience. And so it didn’t.” By contrast, With his ability to titillate both the paparazzi and events don’t occur on a regular basis.” Cunningham holds up the example of a the literati, Franco’s Miami reading alongside “I had so many people special edition of the New World Symphony’s Hoagland seemed tailor-made to the festival’s “Inside The Music” series, which explored mission of enticing new crowds. approach me afterwards the intersection of classical composition and and say ‘I’ve never read poetry. Despite being held on a Tuesday night, Alas, Franco’s plane was delayed by stormy 510 people attended, the largest crowd the weather, diverted to Orlando, and then further contemporary poetry, I Symphony had ever seen for the series — a waylaid as airspace was shut down in Miami only came because my feat Cunningham attributes to the Symphony’s while President Obama fl ew in and out. By the excellent in-house marketing. It’s a symbiosis time an exhausted Franco fi nally arrived, four girlfriend dragged me here which has continued: An April 2012 Symphony hours past the event’s starting time, half the to meet James Franco. But performance also featured the New York- audience of 490 had left. In the meantime, O, that was awesome!’ ” based poet Malachi Black — brought to Miami Miami publicist Lisa Palley had been tasked for a reading and week-long residence by with crowd control. It wasn’t pretty. “I had Cunningham’s University of Wynwood. to deal with the mothers who brought their Accordingly, for 2013 Cunningham intends to teenage daughters!” Palley laughs. “They were push harder for his more thematically “diffi cult” In further evidence of continuing partnerships, screaming at me!” programming. Only sixty-three people turned Black’s lodging was provided by South Beach’s out for “Poetry and Violence,” what he deems Betsy Hotel. Owned by the son of acclaimed “It was a bummer,” Cunningham concedes, as O, Miami’s best reading, and one that moved poet Hyam Plutzik, the Betsy has begun well as a lesson in travel logistics. But despite the audience to tears as poets Brian Turner, regularly holding public poetry events with the snafus, Cunningham says Hoagland made Jill McDonough, and Raúl Zurita discussed Cunningham, offering a space on Ocean Drive a host of new fans that night: “I had so many their experiences, respectively, fi ghting in Iraq, that is (in keeping with O, Miami’s branding) people approach me afterwards and say ‘I’ve working with death-row prisoners and surviving anything but staid.

Part Three: Up In The Sky! It’s A Bird, It’s A Plane, It’s Poetry! O, Miami: How A Festival Infused A City With Poetry 15 never read contemporary poetry, I only came “Our narrative was like opening a box of Fair and Art Basel will have a new event to mark because my girlfriend dragged me here to meet chocolates. Even if you fi nd one you like, you on their calendars.” James Franco. But that was awesome!’ ” don’t know where you can fi nd it again,” Healy says. “If people ask ‘Where is the festival?’ Which begs the larger question: Can O, Miami The same dynamic played out online: As pro- there needs to be a place they can just walk eventually super-charge the city’s literary and anti-Franco partisans dueled on Twitter into.” He hopes that, just as the Miami Beach scene the way Art Basel has kick-started its art and in newspaper article comments, the Convention Center serves as a week-long scene? Should we anticipate a crush of poetry festival received a fresh wave of free publicity. physical center for Art Basel, the New World fans corralled before a velvet rope, trading The marketing take-away for 2013 is clear: Center and its outdoor park can act as a home gossip on the latest mogul to commission a six- Controversy isn’t necessarily a bad thing. And base for O, Miami. fi gure personalized stanza? even if they’re late and do little more than politely sign books, booking a celeb works Moreover, as much as he enjoys the accidental “You’re never going to get dozens of private wonders. discoveries behind the fest’s projects, “you have jets fl ying into Miami for a poetry festival,” to prep for these experiences.” Otherwise, it’s Cunningham scoffs. “That’s fi ne. That’s not “A new generation of the veritable tree falling in the forest, he says. where the value comes from.” Miamians is defi ned by a Case in point, the poetry banner fl own across Besides, argues Borscht fi lm festival director the sky above South Beach: “I introduced the Lucas Leyva, comparisons to Art Basel — or sense of looking forward and poet laureate that afternoon, and no one in the any other festival — are off the mark. “So building something.” audience even knew about it — and these were many previous cultural events were defi ned the most poetry-oriented people imaginable!” by Miami trying to be New York,” Leyva says. Of course, it’s not enough to merely grab an Still, for all his emphasis on outreach, Healy “This city has its own weird personality, and it audience’s attention. O, Miami then has to says the tail should never wag the dog: “It’s a needs to have events and institutions which physically steer them to its events. In that question of popularity versus purpose.” In fact, match that.” A Kendall-native and fi lmmaker respect, festival advisor Tom Healy pointed Cunningham argues there’s a ceiling to just in his own right, Leyva may be a decade younger to the fest’s “too clever and not all that how broad O, Miami’s appeal can be — at least than Cunningham, but he shares the same useful” website as a “symptom” of confused if it’s going to be “world class.” Romero Britto excitement over Miami’s inchoate artistic messaging: Hoping to get a quick overview of may be Miami’s top-selling artist, but don’t ferment. “A new generation of Miamians is the festival? Or even plot out a schedule more expect Art Basel’s organizers to ever allow defi ned by a sense of looking forward and than a day in advance? Good luck with that his critically-dismissed paintings inside their building something. We don’t know what it is online. fair. Likewise, for all the rhetorical appeal of yet,” Leyva says, “but defi ning that new O, Miami’s stated mission of introducing all of cultural identity is what excites so many people Likewise, the scattered nature of O, Miami often Miami-Dade’s 2.5 million residents to a poem, down here now.” left casual fans of a single event wondering how Cunningham’s populist vision has its limits. to follow-up. By enforcing an aesthetic line, he believes “attendees of cultural events such as the Book

Part Three: Up In The Sky! It’s A Bird, It’s A Plane, It’s Poetry! O, Miami: How A Festival Infused A City With Poetry 16 Analysis Highlights

The Challenge The Initiative The Impact Despite having one of the country’s largest In 2011 Knight Foundation awarded P. Scott It’s diffi cult to quantify precisely how many annual Book Fairs, Miami maintains a Cunningham’s University of Wynwood a grant of Miami-Dade county’s residents ended up reputation as a tropical city where the literary to enable the launch of O, Miami—a biannual encountering a poem during the course of April arts are still fi ghting for their place in the sun. poetry festival unlike any literary gathering 2011. But if O, Miami missed a few verse-phobic Modern poetry — often seen as inaccessible Miami had ever seen. Interdisciplinary in folks, it certainly wasn’t for lack of trying: and forebodingly academic, even by many structure and playful in spirit, O, Miami Poems were literally everywhere, from up in the devoted literati — has an even tougher fi ght in partnered with arts organizations across the sky to the sides of buses. Moreover, the festival reaching Miamians. Yet in a world increasingly city for a month’s worth of unorthodox poetry generated the kind of glowing media coverage— dominated by text-based screens and fl ooded events—and often unorthodox venues, from both locally and nationally—which most arts with emails, instant messages and Tweets, outdoor restaurants and nightclubs to the street groups with far longer histories, and far larger poetry also seems like a natural fi t. So how itself. The goal was to introduce a poem to budgets, would kill for. The end result helped to bridge the gap? every single one of greater Miami’s 2.5 million nurture an ongoing citywide sense of creative residents. If Miamians were hesitant about ferment, a palpable feeling that “something venturing into the world of poetry, then the special” is happening in Miami. world of poetry would come to them.

O, Miami: How A Festival Infused A City With Poetry 17 Lessons

1. Go Big 2. Partner Up 3. Book a Celebrity 4. Set the Bar High The annual Art Basel fair, focused By staging events with partner arts Including the buzz-laden actor (and O, Miami’s attitude towards the on avant-garde art, draws organizations, each group brought genuine poetry enthusiast) James presentation of poetry may have thousands of locals who rarely, a new audience to the other. And Franco on an evening of readings been freewheeling, but its actual if ever, set foot inside Miami’s by inviting these partners to shape was an inspired choice. Not only choice of featured poets was art museums. The key? A sense each event’s actual content, O, did it draw in fresh faces, but the carefully focused. In the battle that Basel is a special event, a Miami was able to spark some resultant press coverage—even of “popularity versus purpose,” must-see spectacle. O, Miami genuine cultural cross pollination. negative coverage—sparked a wave purpose always won out. Booked cultivated this same offbeat air, of social media discussion that only poets may not have always been putting a bullhorn-toting poet in heightened the fest’s profi le. the most conventionally popular a Ferrari, hiring a plane to trail a or accessible, but they were the poem banner high above the ones the festival’s director thought sands of South Beach, and represented the best that modern pulling in attendees who would poetry had to offer. With the otherwise run screaming from ongoing success of Art Basel as a a traditional poetry reading. model, the idea was to maintain a critically tough—and subsequently critically acclaimed—aesthetic.

O, Miami: How A Festival Infused A City With Poetry 18