Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival Tickets

THE POETS WERE AN INSPIRATION.....KURT AND THE TAP DANCER WERE AMAZING.......I'D RECOMMEND THIS NEW PROGRAM TO ALL.....MY THANKS FOR A MEMORABLE EVENING.

I saw the Dodge Poetry event at NJPAC which featured musical accompaniment and tapdancing. I cannot explain in words how moving and incredibly emotional this performance was. The poetry ranged the spectrum of emotions from joyous highs to heart breaking injury of the spirit. And as the show progressed the tapdancing became stronger and stronger. The musical singer/songwriter was incredible. He infused southern flavors and feelings into the performance that were just simply moving beyond words. It was an incredible night to say the least.

This is simply the most heartwarming and positive gathering of all who love the spoken word! It presents a broad spectrum of the most notable poets in America and beyond in a beautiful new performing arts center. The organizers of the event are outstanding and to be commended for their attention to every detail. This was our third time in attendance, and we brought several friends for the first time who are eager to return. Highly recommended!!

I reluctantly only got to make there on Sunday, which is the last day. However, it was an amazing day. I stayed until everything was done. I got to see different poets personalities shine through their performances. Something ink on a page just can never do. I have a few autographs on books.

Inspirational, entertaining, intellectually stimulating, moving, incredible!

Premier poetry event in North America -- it's great that it now happens every two years in Newark. one caveat: there should be much more reaching out to the Newark communities.

That's what one listener said rapturously to my daughter as they were walking out of a reading: "Don't you feel like the luckiest person on earth?" We spent the weekend attentively engaged with spoken poetry and listening to poets converse and interact joyfully on topics like "the masks of masculinity" and the craft of poetry. We stood at a stoplight casually talking with Rachel McKibbens and joined Aja Monet and Jamaal May in the lobby late one night. At dinner my daughter peered over my shoulder and observed, "I can't believe I'm watching Billy Collins and Sharon Olds chat it up at the bar," while I took delight in pausing in conversation with Gary Snyder as he finished his dinner. The atmosphere was electric with brilliant minds. Poets and poems, one after the other, were moving, elucidating, and unbearably beautiful. Dodge brings together the most established and revered poets with young blood, each a gifted and accomplished poet. The city opened its generous arms. We were treated to a free tour of the Newark Museum, which the Dahli Lama called the most holy spot in North America, and invited into the stained glass sanctuaries of churches around the Performing Arts Center. The city offers a warm street culture and intriguing blend of vintage stores with contemporary architecture. As one woman said in the shuttle to the airport, "I expected Newark to be depressing, and now I'm in love with it!" In love. That's how I feel about the Dodge Poetry Festival.

As poets and lovers of poetry, we need The Dodge to gift us the respect and solace of a Poetry Festival that's held where we can breathe, be and feel the gift of the weekend. Newark is a battle, every day in your face. It's sirens and a police car with some guy in the back and not feeling quite safe. Yes poets need to be in the thick of things, in life, and we're also buffeted about a great deal. We feel others pain and we often feel bombarded with the hard edges of living. A weekend away, to sink into the poems, poets and the poetic was such a gift when it was held in natural settings. I never missed the festival when it was held in beautiful places. This is my first time to show up since it moved. I was hoping to be wrong, but I found myself scurrying unhappily around and left by noon on Sunday, when I used to be the last to leave. I'm sorry not to give this a glowing review, as I love everything about this, but Newark, probably holding this event in any city. That was surely a political move and not a poetic one. If the historical village was too difficult, perhaps a small town where at least there's a chance for a deeper feeling of community. The poets, as always, were stunning.

Wonderful opportunity to see well-known poets, hear their latest work as they present it, and be privy to their thinking about poetry. But even better, it's a place to discover poets you've never heard of who are just terrific. Highly recommended!

A great mix of big time pop poets and emerging stars, with an amazing diversity of voices and forms. Best poetry festival anywhere!

The festival itself was great - but getting into and out of the site was a nightmare. We missed events because it took us 45 min to park due to all the buses. (Please advise Fri attenders about this student day) Then we couldn't get out of the parking garage because no one told us we needed a voucher from the NJPAC - I had my receipt - but they would not honor it - many other cars were turned away also and we had to go back inside to get the voucher or pay another $10 to get out! Sort of ruined our experience. I only went to see/hear Billy Collins so that was accomplished.

poetry energy great police and support staff good i had a parking vocure and arrived at ten thirty spent over an hour trying to park very discouraging

I've been going to the Dodge Poetry Festival since 1998 and each time i attend, my love for writing and poetry is rekindled. It always excites me to go and find new poets that inspire me and of course to listen to poets who i already know and love. The Dodge Poetry Festival is a reminder that Poetry is life and that life is emotion and that emotion is what makes us human. Poetry tells peoples stories and makes us laugh and makes us cry, and in the end connects each of us to each other.

Most of the poets were both dramatic and profound, emotions ranging from thoughtful to humorous to angry to nostalgic, and beyond. The students asked original and intelligent questions (adults not so much), and the poets responded honestly and without condescension. Events too crowded together, with no time to sit and think or eat, barely time to use the rest room, but perhaps that is an inevitable tradeoff for the packed event. Favorite poets: Alice Oswald, Alberto Rios, Rita Dove, Tracy Smith, Marie Howe, Billy Collins in that order, but then I was only able to attend Friday.

As a handicapped person with limited resources, there were many frustrations getting to and around the festival. Since I am also on a very strict and special food plan, that made things even more difficult, so much of that, and the rain and traffic on Thursday, I'm sure colored my opinion of much of the festival. That being said, I am not only a glass half full person but a glass running over person, and I still had trouble gleaning much from what I saw. My main disappointment was that there was no one place--such as a luncheon or dinner--where groups of attendees could actually sit and get to know each other. Poets tend to be introverts. It's hard for us to connect. Everyone was kind enough, but as a handicapped person travelling alone, the festival was a lonely place. Quite a few people recognized me from the open readings and stopped to tell me they enjoyed my work, but there was no reason-such as a luncheon-for us to sit down and chat while the endless sessions raged on without breaks. I was truly looking forward to the Warrior Project readings until someone from the audience tripped a verbal landmine that began a loud and colorful altercation between him and one of the poets on stage. I was actually afraid and wanted to run. I enjoyed the session on Gay pride, (I am straight and Baptist) but it was sad to me that the poets got so much joy out of choosing their "juiciest" tidbits while they had the opportunity to read them in a Baptist church. As they rubbed that point in deeper I felt hated. I know it's a touchy issue, but I'm disappointed that the committee made such a blatant decision to choose that venue for that particular session--to spread hate no matter how PC they felt it may be. I paid for a four day ticket, but by Saturday I was exhausted and disgusted and sick after being unable to follow my food plan properly, so I skipped Sunday.

Appreciated the time for Q and A. Enjoyed the symphony. Enjoyed womenvoices discussion. A workshop to play with poetry for beginners would be great. Than you!

It surpassed my expectations and my companion's who I roped into going. The venues are wonderful; everything was organized well and the chance to experience these amazing writers live, just incomparable. You know I will be going back!!!

Too many (4000) hs students on Friday but with 70 poets there was something for everyone. Would've been helpful to have session number date and room in the bios of poets at end. Also getting programs at 830 on the first day when all you have posted online is WHEN is not helpful. Too many readings at the same time; more craft workshops would help. Book store only open during sessions so didn't buy many books-- try BEFORE sessions start. Great opportunity to hear major poets reading, all in all. But overwhelming

This is a poet's Mecca. The place to go if you are, or aspire to be, a poet... As well as the place to go if you love language, spoken and listened to, across the wide range of cultural backgrounds. It was inspiring.