Geraldine Dodge Poetry Festival 9/29-10/1/06

Every other year a movable feast of words is spread out in on stages in and tents. This year this buffet was held in a place called Waterloo Village in Stanhope, N.J. A national historic site, Waterloo Village, is, I am sure, still full of the ghosts of farmers past who resided in this19th century Morris Canal port town spread out over 400 acres.

A four day event, called “Wordstock” by the New York Times began in 1986 in Waterloo Village and now it had returned to its roots. With over 60 poets reading in 12 tents and a gazebo we attendees rode on the wings of metaphor seeing images familiar here and through the eyes and pens of poets from around the world.

The program included: Giving Poems A Voice (reading aloud poems from 4 great poets in the Gazebo), Poets on Poetry, Conversations (3-5 poets discussing topics), Poets on Craft and Music (musicians performing on stage and throughout the festival).

Andrew Monitor, Poet Laureate of the U.K. talked with Billy Collins, former U.S. Poet Laureate about being poets laureate. Lucille Clifton talked about her grandparents who were slaves, Taha Muhmmad Ali, with his translator Peter Cole, the Palestinian poet and his Israeli friend and translator read his poetry and talked about craft. And so many more discussed so much else.

Tony Hoaglund, Jorie Graham, Kim Un, Mark Doty, Gerald Stern, Taslima Nasreen and so many more read poetry, discussed the craft of poetry. One day 5,000 high school students were bussed in from NY, NJ and elsewhere. Some sat in groups of two or three under very old maple and oak trees with notebooks spread out on the grass writing poetry.

In all, around 20,000 people came and went. Not noticing the rain or mud or cold we warmed ourselves by the words spoken from poets with different stories to tell. We bought books at the book tent and had them autographed capturing a signature from those we loved. We learned from our respected peers, were given the gifts of their words and
in 2008 you can be sure I will be there again.