Press Release
This year, Poetry Downtown Festival proudly honors the legacy of Edgar Allan Poe with a four-city celebration. The festivities will take place in Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore. In Boston, six events will be organized, with the Poetry Downtown Boston Reading at the Long Wharf Pavilion on September 27.
Poetry Downtown Boston Readings
Each year, Poetry Downtown invites the finest poets to participate in its festival. This year, the festival’s jury selected the following emerging poets to read in Boston:
8.00-8.20 pm Jude Luttrell Bradley from Long Beach, CA
8.20-8.40 pm Guy D’Annolfo from Acton, MA
8.40-9.00 pm Geraldine Cannon from Fort Kent, ME
9.00-9.20 pm Steven Bruce Myerson from Barrington, RI
9.20-9.40 pm Jessica Boynton from Fort Kent, ME
Competition
Those five poets will read each 20 minutes. They will read their selected “The Raven” work as published in the annual Poetry Downtown anthology and additionally their own work. To be considered for selection, poets had to submit a poem inspired by “The Raven” by September 1, as the festival celebrates the 175th anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe’s death on October 7, 1849.
Jury
The poets were selected by this year’s panel:
– Erik van Loon: Dutch artist and founder of the Poetry Downtown Festival
– Chris Semtner: Curator of the Edgar Allan Poe Museum, author and artist
– G.H. Mosson: Poet with with multiple nominations and prestigious journal publications
Long Wharf Pavilion
In each city, the poets read at unique locations. In Baltimore, they will read at Protean Books, in New York at the Edgar Allan Poe Cottage, in Philadelphia at the Philadelphia Ethical Society and in Boston, at the Long Wharf Pavilion. In 1796 Poe’s mother, Eliza (then age nine), arrived as immigrant at Long Whaf from England with her mother.
All events on September 27 in Boston
8.00-11.30 am Tour Poetry Cycle Boston
A literary cycle of 5 miles in which we follow Edgar Allan Poe from his birthplace, via Edgar Allan Poe Square to Fort Independence where he was stationed.
1.00-1.15 pm Opening Poetry Downtown Boston
Erik van Loon will official open the Poetry Downtown Festival in Boston, he will welcome the poets and its audience, and introduce Professor Geraldine Cannon Becker.
1.15-2.00 pm Lecture Literacy Through Poetry
In this inspiring and thought-provoking lecture, Professor Geraldine Cannon Becker, a distinguished poet and professor at the University of Maine at Fort Kent, will delve into the vital role poetry can play in combating illiteracy. Drawing on her extensive experience as both an educator and a poet, she will share her insights into how the rhythm, structure, and emotional resonance of poetry can engage learners of all ages, fostering a love for reading and writing that transcends traditional educational barriers.
3.00-4.00 pm Radio Play A Voyage To The Moon (WORLD PREMIERE)
At the Boston Public Library, we embark on a solo trip with Edgar Allan Poe charater Hans Phaall en route to the Moon, escaping civilization and crossing to another planetary body.
8.00-10.00 pm Reading Poetry Downtown Reading Boston
See above
10.00-11.00 pm PATCH Poetry And Tales Cocktail Hour Boston
At PATCH (Poetry And Tales Cocktail Hour) poets and audience can meet, talk, drink and dance with eachother.
10.00-11.00 pm Tournament Ultimate Typewriter Showdown
At PATCH we will have each night also the Ultimate Typewriter Showdown: where speed, accuracy and skill determin the ultimate typewriter champion.
* all events are free
Boston – New York – Philadelphia – Baltimore
As mentioned before, the 4th Poetry Downtown Festival will take place in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. This year’s festival promises a rich array of events and culinary delights, including 12 distinct dishes, four poetry readings, four lectures, three poetry cycles, three Ultimate Typewriter Countdowns, one talk show, and one radio play. Poets will journey on the Poetry Train, traveling between cities and towns across eight states from Boston to Baltimore. This unique and affordable experience offers poets the chance to network and collaborate, connecting poets in twenty different cities and towns.
Poetry Train
Erik van Loon envisions leasing a dedicated Poetry Train by 2025, equipped with restaurant, sleeper, disco, bar, and library cars. This year, he aims to welcome 40 poets aboard the Poetry Train, further expanding this unique festival. Support Erik’s American dream and help unite the country through the power of poetry. Visit https://poetrydowntown.com/crowdfunding for more information on how to become a sponsor.
More info:
4th Poetry Downtown Festival
Erik van Loon
+316 E VAN LOON / +316 3 826 5666
www.poetrydowntown.com
Poetrydowntownfestival@gmail.com
