The 15th BIENNIAL DODGE POETRY FESTIVAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR NEWARK PUBLIC SCHOOLS OCTOBER 23-24, 2014 The Downtown Arts District of Newark

The Dodge Poetry Festival introduces thousands of teenagers and teachers to poets from widely diverse backgrounds, offering them the opportunity to see the world from perspectives entirely unlike their own. Dodge Festival poets are extraordinary—not only in their talent as writers, but in their ability to communicate and connect with their listeners. The atmosphere of the Festival is one of mutual respect and generosity.

The Festival presents poets in live readings and discussions, designed to pique the interest of the reader and listener to engage with literature as a living art form. Students and teachers have the opportunity to converse directly with writers about their work, their practices and their influences. The personal connection that students and teachers can make to poets and poetry is unique to the Dodge Poetry Festival and presents an innovative way to encourage student reading and writing, and to encourage deep engagement with literature.

Since 1986, nearly 50,000 students and 11,000 teachers from as far away as Florida, Wisconsin and California have participated in the Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival, the largest poetry event in North America. The 2014 Festival will feature over 60 poets including:

Richard Blanco* Marie Howe* Sharon Olds* Eavan Boland Ishion Hutchinson Robert Pinsky * Billy Collins* Saeed Jones James Richardson Brendan Constantine Yusef Komunyakaa* Patrick Rosal Natalie Diaz Alex Lemon Benjamin Alire Saenz Mark Doty* Anis Mojgani Tracy K. Smith* Sean Thomas Dougherty Aja Monet Gary Snyder* Rita Dove* Tomás Q. Morín Kevin Young

*have received one or more of the following honors: U.S. Poet Laureate; Guggenheim Fellow; Pulitzer Prize; NEA Fellow; National Book Award CONTACT: Michele Russo, [email protected] or 973-540-8442

Educational Opportunities for Newark Public School’s High School Students and All District Teachers

October 23 & October 24, 2014: The Downtown Arts District of Newark

The staff of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation places a high priority on including Newark Public School students and teachers in the 15th Biennial Dodge Poetry Festival.

1. Newark High Schools may request an In-School Mini Festival or School Assembly on Thursday October 23, 2014 featuring 2-4 Festival poets, for a student audience as large as the schools’ auditorium can accommodate. Poets will give readings and do an informal Q & A, engaging students’ curiosity and interest in contemporary literature. These events are scheduled on a first-come first-serve basis and are at no charge. The deadline to request an In-School Mini Festival is September 26th.

2. Newark High Schools may attend the Dodge Poetry Festival in Newark’s Downtown Arts District on Friday October 24, 2014, often referred to as High School Student Day, when 200+ schools from New Jersey and beyond are in attendance. High School Student Day is a full day of readings, conversations and open mic events featuring today’s most vibrant and accomplished poets. Pre-registration required. This is offered at no charge. The deadline for registering for High School Student Day is October 10th.

3. All Newark teachers (of any grade level or subject matter) may register to attend the Festival after school on October 23rd. NJ Professional Development Hours are awarded. Sessions will take place at NJPAC, Peddie Baptist Church, Trinity Cathedral, The NJ Historical Society and Military Park. Events scheduled for 3:45-5:00pm listed below:*  Poets for Teachers with Yusef Komunyakaa  Conversation: Tell All the Truth, But Tell It Slant with Richard Blanco, Stephen Kuusisto and Tracy K. Smith  Conversation: Poetry & Storytelling with Rachel McKibbens, Alberto Ríos and Dan Vera  Young Poets for Teachers, with National Student Poets  Conversation: A Certain Kind of Attention with Kevin Goodan, Rebecca Lindenberg and Benjamin Alire Sáenz

*Registration ($10) entitles teachers to attend all daytime events (9:30-5:00) and/or evening Poetry Sampler (7:00-10:00pm) featuring 25 poets doing short readings. The full schedule for Oct. 23rd is here. Registration required.

CONTACT: Michele Russo, [email protected] or 973-540-8442

Alignment with the Newark Public Schools District

The Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival and in-school Mini Festivals align with a Key Priority of the District Superintendent:

Innovation: Implement initiatives to accelerate student achievement such as extended learning time, socio-emotional learning/support for students, and streamlined curriculum with real-time assessment data.

The Festival presents over 60 contemporary poets in live readings and discussions, designed to pique the interest of the reader and listener to engage with literature as a living art form. Students who attend the Festival or Mini Festivals in their schools have the opportunity to converse directly with writers about their work, their practices and their influences. The personal connection that students and teachers can make to poets and poetry is unique to the Dodge Poetry Festival and presents an innovative way to encourage student reading and writing, and to encourage deep engagement with literature.

Alignment with the Common Core Standards

With the companion Festival Teachers Kit—free to all attending teachers—High School Student Day and the in-school Mini Festivals address several Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts including:

Reading: Literature  Key Ideas and Details: RL.9-10.2, RL.11-12.2  Craft and Structure: RL.9-10.4, RL.9-10.6, RL.11-12.4, RL.11-12.5, RL.11-12.6  Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity: RL.9-10.10, RL.11-12.10

Speaking and Listening  Comprehension and Collaboration: SL.9-10.1, SL.11-12.1

Language  Vocabulary Acquisition and Use: L.9-10.4, L.9-10.5  Knowledge of Language: L.11-12.3, L.11-12.5

CONTACT: Michele Russo, [email protected] or 973-540-8442