summoning poets laureate from around the nation to New Hampshire

New Hampshire poet laureate Walter Butts has long believed that, of all literary forms, poetry comes closest to expressing what it means to be human. As such, poetry necessarily reflects the communities, cultural landscapes and political systems in which humans function.

“I think poetry both observes and participates in the culture that it’s generated from, and so I think the reflections and insights of poets who give voice to communal concerns are an extraordinarily valid and necessary force,” Butts said.

That’s part of the premise behind Poetry and Politics, a two-day event taking place on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 14 and 15. It’s part of the first ever New Hampshire Book Festival, which runs from Oct. 9 to 23.  

Put together by the New Hampshire Writers’ Project, Poetry and Politics brings state poets laureate from around the country here for a series of readings and discussions. Sixteen poets will arrive in New Hampshire on Oct. 13 and spread across the state for free public readings the following day. The event culminates on Saturday, Oct. 15, with a conference at the New Hampshire Technical Institute in Concord.

The first ever Poetry and Politics event was held in April 2003, when poet Marie Harris of Barrington was the state laureate. It was the first time in history that poets laureate from around the country had gathered in one state to discuss poetry’s role in society.

The event did not take place for the next seven years, but NHWP executive director George Geers decided to revive it in 2011.

“It was an event I’ve always really enjoyed, and I signed on as director last year, so it was a chance to bring it back this year,” Geers said.

Butts, who became New Hampshire’s poet laureate in 2009, is hosting the event and will oversee the panel discussions. Harris will also participate, as well as Butts’ immediate predecessor, Patricia Fargnoli.

Other poets coming to the state include Wesley McNair and Betsy Sholl of Maine, Karla Morton and David Parsons of Texas, Dick Allen of Connecticut, JoAnn Balingit of Delaware, Sue Brannan Walker of Alabama, Bruce Dethlefsen of Wisconsin, Julie Kane of Louisiana, Carolyn Kreiter-Foronda of Virginia, Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg of Kansas, Lisa Starr of Rhode Island, and Marjory Wentworth of South Carolina.

At each reading around the state on Oct. 14, a local high school student who participated in this year’s Poetry Out Loud program will recite a classic poem. Two New Hampshire poets will then share their work, followed by the visiting poet laureate.

Butts said the format will allow local poets and members of the community to interact with other artists from around the nation. It’s a much needed spotlight on poetry at a time when state funding for the arts is at a premium. The New Hampshire Legislature considered eliminating its State Council on the Arts this year. 

“One of the major benefits of an event like the one we’re planning in October is to bring to the forefront the value that poetry has to the community at large,” Butts said.

Topics to be confronted at the conference on Oct. 15 include “Poetry and Community,” “Poetry and Education,” “Poetry and Social Justice” and “Poetry and Politics.” The cost of the day-long conference is $75, which includes lunch, and the poets will be available to chat and sign books throughout the day.

According to Butts, overtly political poems have become increasingly prevalent over the last 10 to 15 years. Some are controversial calls for dissent, while others are patriotic cries of support. But even poems that do not directly address the current political climate can have broader resonance.

“I think the act of writing poetry is a political act,” Butts said. “I’m not as interested in what a given poem might be about as what the act of writing a poem and investigating the deeper levels of our humanity means in a larger context.”

The New Hampshire Book Festival will include a range of readings, discussions and other events across the state, including a Journalism and Politics conference on Oct. 13 at Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester, as well as a discussion of Women and Politics on Oct. 14 in Concord.

Poetry and Politics, Butts said, gives artists and community members a chance to engage in dialogues about how to instigate change. In a time of war, poverty and environmental catastrophe, the role of poetry is more important than ever.

“I think there’s an imperative for artists in general to look at the relationship between our daily lives and the political climate we’re living in,” Butts said. “And who better to do that than the artists?”

For more information on Poetry and Politics and the NH Book Festival, visit www.nhwritersproject.org.