There are moments rich in humor and wisdom, transcendent moments after which one sees the world differently, and moments when the play of language dazzles the ear as fireworks delight the eye on the Fourth of July. The New York Times covered the most recent Dodge Festival as if it were the epitome of poetry's resurgence on the public stage. Poetry performances are held at over 150 places in the New York area alone. But the renaissance of public poetry is nationwide. The Elliott Bay Book Company in Seattle schedules sixty readings a year.
Every age calls forth new poets who create new forms, and our age is no exception.
Like the Dodge Festival, contemporary poetry reading is a stage on which fresh voices take up the democratic conversation. Readings are returning poetry to the people. They recall those public gatherings in early America in which citizens assembled on commons to read their broadsheets and discuss the news of the day. The poets in this book seemed to be yearning for, and working toward, this sense of community. Connection is crucial to being a poet.