Everyone has their way with words, some simply talk while others write. At the Dodge Poetry Festival, poets performed through music and words and learned how to combine them while still talking. At the beginning of our adventure we were able to listen to a talk given by Mark Doty. This man is a highly respected poet who also teaches a class at Rutgers (which is very hard to get into). He spoke about acceptance in society and how life changes over time. 
At the Newark Museum we were able to sit in on a forum, which discussed the influence of poetry on those who embraced and distinguished their homosexuality. Crystal Bacon, Richard Blanco, Saeed Jones and C. Young provided insight in how they found a way to describe their emotions. The speakers had powerful and different stories about the difficult or ease they experienced in becoming confident. Writing was a way to allow them to help others who needed to express and accept themselves. Later on in the day, our group was able to sit in on an open reading of poetry. Individuals distinguished themselves with different lengths, styles and presentation of poems. Interestingly enough, the power of the poems was enough to shake those who were on looking. We soon realized that every venue was overflowing with inspired minds.
We ended up comfortable and warm in the First Peddie Baptist Church when another speaker captured our attention. Gary Snyder, member of a generation of authors and poets known as the beats that spearheaded a literary revolution in America in the late 50s and early 60s, was a prominent figure in American history and played an important role in the rise of hippie culture in the 60s. Most of Snyder’s contemporaries of the beat generation are now dead, either because of alcohol/drug abuse or old age, and the fact that he is still speaking at events is incredible. What’s more, Snyder currently lives in California and for someone his age to travel thousands of miles to Trenton, NJ is a demanding, improbable feat. He said himself that coming this far East was very difficult for him and it’s something he won’t be doing again. Given all this, meeting a man like Gary Snyder with such cultural importance in 2014 in Trenton is simply unbelievable.
He spent the first half of his time discussing poetry as an art form. He spoke about the elements of poetry that are fundamental to human nature and the different forms of poetry in different parts of the world. His respect for the art form and for the cultures that practice it was sincere and he was genuinely humbled to be chosen to give an opinion on such a rich, immense topic. When he took time to take questions, the first woman to speak asked if he would read some of his poetry, and for someone who is so important to the history of poetry itself, he seemed surprised and almost unprepared for the possibility that anyone would want to hear it. He searched through his book sheepishly, not looking for his best work but for something that would capture the spirit of “poetry”, as he defined it earlier. He finished, answered a few more questions, and concluded his presentation.
When he left the stage, I joined a group of five or six people waiting to say hello, and waited until everyone else had asked their questions. I didn’t have anything to ask, I just wanted to shake his hand and introduce myself. He was clearly tired and anxious to leave, so I didn’t want to keep him or anything. I just thanked him for making the trip, it was enough to me to meet one of the men responsible for the generation of lovers and idealists that followed him. It will be the last time I see him in person, although it won’t be his last job, I’m sure, but I’m glad to have met him at all. For someone so honest and unassuming, it’s enough to know that he’s still around and to know that I was one of the lucky few of my generation to get to experience him. So I shook his hand, and I thanked him for everything he’s done. And that’s enough for me.
Another main highlight of the festival happened to be the most musical. We wandered into the main center and found three sisters performing their song “Inside My Head.” Together their ensemble was called Parkington Sisters. Originally from Massachusetts, the sisters combined their musical talents to work their way from playing the small streets to concert venues across the world. Growing up their parents allowed them to explore music and allowed it to be a focal point in their lives.
Their classical training and other alternative folk musicians influenced the music they created. It was interesting to see how the sisters balanced their dynamic personalities and capabilities as siblings. Also the way they constructed their musical pieces caught our interest. Instead of starting with a melody, they began with words. Each line was then connected to a musical tone to highlight and emphasize each syllable. Pieces that they played or read were inspired by their creativity and personal experiences. Ideas and different perspectives from the lives of each of the sisters lend themselves to make stories, letting it all flow into a few lines. It was amazing to just find a way to let the words affect me the same way they affect the authors. Throughout the entire festival our group was thoroughly enlightened and entertained. Poetry is a unifying expression of human emotions that strives to let its writers be heard.
Sam Shopp & Fiha Abdulrahman