Sunken Garden Poetry Festival Opens June 8

A summer tradition for nearly 20 years, the Sunken Garden Poetry Festival 2011 opens at Hill-Stead Museum June 8.

“We’re thrilled with the great lineup of poets and musicians coming to Hill-Stead this summer," said Mimi Madden, Artistic Director of the Sunken garden Poetry Festival. "This past year we’ve been expanding our role as a sort of Poetry Central for Connecticut, with a revival of writing workshops, an annual poetry party, and a lot of plans in the works for the upcoming 20th anniversary of the festival in 2012."

Despite being in our own town, the poetry festival isn't limited to local authors.

"Many people in Connecticut aren’t aware that the festival is one of the most prestigious poetry events in the country, featuring the top tier of American poets, including U.S. Poets Laureate and winners of national prizes and awards, as well as regional and student poets,” Madden explained.

Opening night of Season 19 features Tony Hoagland, whose poetry comments on contemporary American life and culture. Hoagland currently teaches at the University of Houston and Warren Wilson College. 

Reading with Hoagland will be award-winning poet Patricia Hale, Sunken Garden Poetry Prize First Place Winner. Music will be by 11-piece horn band Ol Skool, known for playing the hits of Tower of Power, Stevie Wonder, Blood, Sweat and Tears, and Chicago to standing-room-only audiences. 

This summer’s other performances include:

• June 22: Ekiwah Adler-Beléndez; Connecticut Poetry Circuit Winners / Music by Sirius Coyote
• July 6: Connecticut Poet Laureate Dick Allen; 2011 Antrim House Featured Poet Elizabeth Thomas; 2011 CT Poetry Out Loud Champion Erin Connolly / Music by Atwater-Donnelly Band
• July 20: Patricia Smith; Night of Fresh Voices / Music by Eric Bibb
• August 3: Mark Doty; Sunken Garden Poetry Prize 2nd Place Winner Dr. David Watts / Music by Chris Casey Ensemble

New to the festival this year are:

• Poetry Preludes 5–5:45 p.m.: Free pre-performance mini-lecture/discussions in the Makeshift Theater focusing on the work of the presenting poet.
• Season Parking Passes: Parking for five evenings for the price of four. For more details, visit hillstead.org/activities/poetry.html.
• Theodate, the online poetry journal of Hill-Stead Museum. Launched to commemorate the upcoming 20th anniversary of the festival in 2012, “an on-line poetry journal, to make year-round and world-wide what has been seasonal and site-specific.” Submissions are now being accepted for the inaugural Fall/Winter 2011-12 issue: theodate.org.
  
  Poetry Video on YouTube. You will not miss a night of the festival after watching this video: Hill-Stead Poetry Video.

The festival is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism, numerous corporate partners, foundations and individual donors.

Gates open at 4:30 p.m.; music begins at 6:30 p.m.; poetry begins at 7:30 p.m. Books and CDs are available for sale 5:30–8:30 p.m.

Al fresco dining, allowed on the West Lawn, at picnic tables and in the Sunken Garden, is a huge part of the evening. Bring your own or purchase food and beverages on site from Truffles Bakery.

The event is free and open to the public; onsite parking is $10 per vehicle. Free public parking is available on a limited basis at Brickwalk Shops, off High Street.

Volunteers are still needed to help with the festival. For more information or to sign up, call Amy Russo, 860.677.4787 ext 134.