Dodge Poetry Festival - Day 1

Kurtis Lamkin started the day. He talked about writing, (he does not actually write anything down, it is all in his head). He talked about his kora, the musical instrument seen on the table at his side. He played it sometimes when he read. Some times he read a capela. He closed this reading session with a wonderful poem, Jump Mama. I had first heard it when Bill Moyers did the PBS piece on the Dodge Festival. You can view that clip here. The first day was well attended with about 5,000 expected. Thursday and Friday are open to the schools so there are lots of yellow buses with lots of high school boys and girls around. I will have much more to say with pictures and stories. Sitting at one of the picnic tables for supper, I overheard the conversation at the next table about one couple had come from Australia for the festival. Earlier during the day, I had meet a couple who had driven in from Toronto. I was joined at the table by a fellow Massachusetts resident. I had just found her blog when looking for writers in preparation for the festival. It is a small world after all. Technorati Tags : Dodge+Poetry, poetry,