PoetryAsSocialJusticePoetryInSocialJusticePoetryForSocialJusticePoetryAsSocialJusticePoetryInSocialJusticePoetryPoetryForSocialJusticePoetryAsSocialJustice

​Sixth International Symposium on Poetic Inquiry/
17th Annual Mid-American Review Winter Wheat Literary Festival

Bowling Green State University/ November 2-4, 2017

Poetry as/in/for Social Justice

“Poetry is not sloganeering, and when poets directly confront a particular political crisis they need to do so carefully, even warily. They rarely put forward direct solutions to problems. Instead, they offer a kind of understanding that is distinct, as well as useful, by creating a language adequate to the experience of their readers. In this sense, poetry matters because it can waken us to realities that fall into the realm of the political.” (Parini, 2008, p. xiii)
 
Poetic inquiry can be an active response to social issues, a political commentary, and a call to action. Poetry is political. Thus, writing, performing, and publishing poetry is important political activity. Poetry can help us shape lives in ways that we want to live; we create and tell the stories that we need to advocate for social justice. As Fisher (2009) argued, the “political task” of poetry is “a visionary one, the work of making way for new worlds and words” (p. 984). Poetry confronts social structures to engage audiences and activate poetry’s political potential; poetry engages a “political voice” (Orr, 2008, p. 416).

The College of Arts and Sciences, The Mid-American Review, The School of Cultural and Critical Studies, and The School of Media and Communication at Bowling Green State University invite you to the 6th International Symposium on Poetic Inquiry/17th Annual Mid-American Review Winter Wheat Festival of Writing to be held at Bowling Green State University November 2-4, 2017.

We call for participation through proposed performances, manifestos, political actions, workshops, and other presentations that engage with poetics to explore poetry’s power of connectivity, political power, and evocation. Please submit 200 word proposals that include a title of the work, details of the proposed work, and a 50-word bio for all participants to [email protected] with ISPI2017 in the subject line by February 15, 2017. We will review proposals and notify you by March 31, 2017.


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​PoetryAsSocialJusticePoetryInSocialJusticePoetryForSocialJusticePoetryAsSocialJusticePoetryInSocialJusticePoetryPoetryForSocialJusticePoetryAsSocialJustice