[JPI] Fw: poets against the war

[Hugh Stearns]

poets against the war
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Kathi Appelt 
To: Stearns Construction ; Elizabeth C. Berigan ; cecelia hawkins 
Sent: Tuesday, February 04, 2003 4:39 PM
Subject: poets against the war


Hi y'all--would you send the word out on your listservs?  I could use some help with this.

Thanks, Kathi
P.S.  There's more about this on www.poetsagainstthewar.org

On Sunday, February 16, there will be an open reading of Poetry Against the War.  Poets are invited to share their poems of protest against the war in Iraq.  
The White House cancellation last week of a February 12 poetry
symposium because it might become "a political forum" has led to a host of poetry readings in response.

Called "A Poetry Reading in Honor of the Right of Protest as a
Patriotic and Historical Tradition," the event will be held Sunday,
February 16, at 7:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 305 Wellborn Rd.,
College Station.

"Too many people are saying protest is unpatriotic," stated Ed Morrow, a bookstore owner in Vermont, one of several sponsoring readings. "The dismal thing is that free speech is essential to
what we're supposed to be fighting for. It's the reason we're admired
all over the world. The fact is we're throwing out this beautiful
lovely baby with the bathwater of terrorism. It's very scary."

At the event, poets will read some poems by the poets whose works
were to be read at the White House: Walt Whitman, Langston Hughes and
Emily Dickinson. Speakers may add their own works and talk for 10
minutes or so. While the original event was cancelled, "apprehension that a number of the
invited poets would use the occasion to protest the mobilization for
war in Iraq," this reading is intended to emphasize the value of free
speech, dissent and protest.

Several weeks before the White House symposium, part of a series
honoring American writers and sponsored by First Lady Laura Bush, Sam
Hamill, a poet and editor at Copper Canyon Press, requested people
contribute poems or statements opposing war against Iraq to be
included in an anthology that would be presented at the symposium. The
strong response he received and publicity about it apparently led to
the cancellation. A White House spokesperson issued a statement saying
that "while Mrs. Bush respects the right of all Americans to express
their opinions, she, too, has opinions and believes it would be
inappropriate to turn a literary event into a political forum." The
event has not been rescheduled.

For more information or to volunteer to help, contact Kathi Appelt: kappelt at tca.net or (979) 680-9146.

Ed Morrow stressed the value of the reading in spreading the word
about free speech and dissent: "We're pleased to have the opportunity
to elevate the issue and get more people to think. Loyalty does not
disappear with protest but is an obligation." 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://philebus.tamu.edu/pipermail/jpi/attachments/20030204/3e60b110/attachment.htm