The People's State of the Union—2015 Poetic Address to the Nation—#PSOTU #PoeticAddress—USDAC
Channel: HowlRound Theatre Commons
Date: 2015-02-07

The U.S. Department of Arts and Culture presents The People's State of the Union—2015 Poetic Address to the Nation livestreaming on the global, commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network on Sunday, February 1 at 6:30pm EST (New York) / 5:30pm CST (Chicago) / 3:30pm PST (Los Angeles) / 23:30 GMT (London). Livestreaming by CultureHub at Bowery Poetry in New York City. 

In Twitter, use #PSOTU, #PoeticAddress, and follow @USArtsDept, @bowerypoetry, and @HowlRoundTV.

Once a year, the U.S. President delivers the State of the Union address, a speech meant to highlight important national issues from the past year and suggest priorities for the coming year. It’s a broadcast from one to many. But what if, once a year, we could all speak and listen to each other? What if We the People reflected in our own communities on the condition of our culture and the state of our union locally, nationally, globally? What if the annual State of the Union was not a speech spoken by one, but a poem created by many?

The People's State of the Union is just that. From January 23-30, 2015, individuals in more than 150 communities across the country hosted "story circle" events, inviting neighbors to reflect on the current state of our union. Scribes from each event (and individuals anywhere) could upload stories online through the USDAC site. Inspired by these stories, a diverse group of poets from across the U.S. came together to co-create the "2015 Poetic Address to the Nation," as a poem to be performed and broadcast live from the Bowery Poetry Club on Sunday, February 1, 2015.
 
Join us for the culmination of the first-ever People's State of the Union.
 
The all-star line-up includes:
David Acevedo
Mahogany Browne
Jason Blasso
Reg E Gaines
Bob Holman
Paolo Javier
Nikhil Melnechuk
Stephen Motika
Eileen Myles
Tahani Salah
Judith Santopietro
Patricia Smith
 
Musicians:
Devin Brahja Waldman—sax
Shayna Dulberger—bass
Alexis Marcelo—piano
Warren Smith—drums
 
Featuring additional original poetry by:
E Ethebert Miller
Ed Sanders
Marilyn Nelson
Margaret Randall
Luis Rodriguez
Tanaya Winder
Jennifer Bartlett
Joy Harjo
Yolanda Wisher
Jessica Hagedorn
 
A project by the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture—the nation's newest people-powered department dedicated to cultivating empathy, equity, and social imagination. www.usdac.us. In partnership with Bowery Arts + Science.

- See more at: http://howlround.com/livestreaming-the-peoples-state-of-the-union-2015-poetic-address-to-the-nation-sun-feb-1-psotu

Help us caption & translate this video!

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