Free Events Throughout #SplitThisRock2016

From the Poet Laureate’s reading the night before the festival opens, to open mics, to a public action bringing poetry to the streets, Split This Rock Poetry Festival 2016 offers lots of event for free to the public! We believe that poetry and justice should be available to all, so please join us for these free events.

Special Library of Congress Kick-Off Event with Juan Felipe Herrera, Poet Laureate of the United States

Wednesday, April 13, 2016, 7pm

Coolidge Auditorium, Thomas Jefferson Building of Library of Congress, Ground Floor, 101 Independence Ave SE, Washington, DC 20540.FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

21st Poet Laureate Consultant Juan Felipe Herrera will celebrate the conclusion of his term of his laureateship. Book sales and signing will follow.  Co-sponsored by the Library of Congress Hispanic Division.

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Featured Poet Readings

All readings below are FREE and open to the public. Poets will be available to sign books after each reading and Upshur Street Books will be on site with books for sale. All of these readings will be ASL Interpreted.

Thursday, April 14, 2016 | 7:30-9 pm

Ross Gay, Aracelis Girmay, Craig Santos Perez, and 2015 Split This Rock Poetry Contest Winner Sara Brickman

Friday, April 15, 2016 | 7:30-9 pm

Jennifer Bartlett, Jan Beatty, Regie Cabico, and 2016 Split This Rock Poetry Contest Winner Lauren K. Alleyne

Saturday, April 16, 2016 | 4:30-6 pm

Dominique Christina, Martha Collins, Dawn Lundy Martin

Saturday, April 16, 2016 | 8-9:30 pm

Reginald Dwayne Betts, Nikky Finney, Ocean Vuong

Sunday, April 17, 2016 | 11:30am-1 pm

Amal Al-Jubouri​, Rigoberto González, Linda Hogan

LOCATION OF READINGS

National Geographic, Grosvenor Auditorium

1145 17th Street, NW Washington, DC 20036

Entrance on M Street

SPLIT THIS ROCK POETRY FESTIVAL 2016 - SPECIAL EVENTS

OPEN MICS

Thursday, April 14 | 10-11:30 pm

Busboys and Poets, 14th & V, Langston Room
2021 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

Free to festival registrants, $5 for all others. Sign up list to perform at the door.

Friday, April 15 | 10pm – 12 am

Busboys and Poets, 5th and K Street, Cullen Room
1025 5th Street NW, Washington, DC 20001

Free to festival registrants, $5 for all others. Sign up list to perform at the door.

PUBLIC ACTION
Friday, April 15 | 10 – 11am

Join us in countering hate and fear, by committing Public Displays of Poetry! For one hour Friday morning, we’ll flash mob downtown DC with poems of love and welcome. Visit the website for details: www.splitthisrock.org. Gather at Human Rights Campaign, the festival hub, at 9:45 am. Further details TBD and will be posted to website.
 
SOCIAL JUSTICE BOOK FAIR
Saturday, April 16 | 10 am-3:30 pm
Charles Sumner School Museum & Archives, Room 300 | 1201 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036

Free to attend.
 
Hosted in collaboration with the Charles Sumner School Museum & Archives, the Social Change Book Fair will feature over 30 socially engaged organizations, progressive presses, literary magazines, and independent newspapers. More info here.
 
CHARLES SUMNER SCHOOL MUSEUM & ARCHIVES OPEN HOUSE

Saturday, April 16 | see below for times

Charles Sumner School Museum & Archives, Room 102 | 1201 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036

The following daytime sessions are free to attend on Saturday, April 16:

Contemporary South African Spoken Word. A reading featuring poets from Tshwane, South Africa | 9:30am _ 11am

#BlackPoetsSpeakOut: Split This Rock – Reading and Open Mic. Poetry inspired by the Black Lives Matter against police violence  | 11:30am – 1:00pm

Youth Open Mic. Hosted by Dominique Christina & Denice Frohman of Sister Outsider – Open to poets ages 20 and under | 2:00pm – 3:30pm