Poets for Peace and Justice Press Release

September 23, 2006

For immediate release

For more information, contact:
Francesco Levato, 312/546-4521
or francesco@francescolevato.com

20 poets protest war by reading for peace

Speak Truth to Power: An Evening of Protest Poetry, in tandem with an art exhibit, the World Can’t Wait protest, seeks to begin the end of the Bush regime


CHICAGO, IL – The outcry of poets will be heard despite the city’s permit denial to the organizers of the World Can’t Wait Day of Mass Resistance Protest and March (scheduled and advertised for Oct. 5 in Grant Park, Chicago; San Francisco, and NYC, where similar protests have also been denied).

Speak Truth to Power: An Evening of Protest Poetry, organized by activist poet Francesco Levato and sponsored by World Can’t Wait, will take place during the Peace & Justice: Artists for Change art exhibit. The event is free and will be held on Friday, Oct. 6, from 7 – 9 p.m., at the Acme Building, 2418 W. Bloomingdale.

For the protest, Levato sought poets whose work answered yes to these questions: “Are you opposed to war without end; to torture; to eavesdropping on American citizens; to suppressing scientific truths; to a dangerous theocracy imposed on Americans; to holding prisoners without due process; to the erosion of women's rights to abortion, and so on?”

The response was so overwhelming Levato could not accept all the poets who wanted to read. The reading will feature a total of 20 readers from Chicago, Virginia, and New York City, including:

Emily Calvo, public relations director for the National Poetry Slam Championship in Chicago; Nina Corwin, author of Conversations with Friendly Demons and Tainted Saints; Dan Halberstein (VA); Mary Hawley, author of Double Tongues; Laura Heidy (Alexandria, VA); Wayne Allen Jones, publisher Fractal Edge Press, author of Decades of Rehearsal; Allison Joseph, editor of Crab Orchard Review; CJ Laity, publisher of ChicagoPoetry.com; Francesco Levato, activist; founder of Street Level Series & author of Marginal State; Lauren Levato, author of Marriage Bones; Mars, founder of She Laughs, a female interdisciplinary improvisational poetry/music mob; Brent Mesick; Erika Mikkalo; Mike Puican, author of 30 Seconds; Steven Schroeder, author of Revolutionary Patience; Purvi Shah (NYC), Executive Director of Sakhi for South Asian Women, a community-based anti-domestic violence organization; Lina ramona Vitkauskas, editor at Milk Magazine, author of Failed Star Spawns Planet/Star; Michael C. Watson, host of Wordslingers radio; Ruan Wright.


Speak Truth to Power: An Evening of Protest Poetry

DATE:
October 6, 2006

TIME:
7 – 9 pm
LOCATION:

Acme Building

2418 W. Bloomingdale

Chicago, IL 60647
COST:

FREE




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