2008 Fort Greene Park Summer Literary Festival
Saturday, August 23rd
Fort Greene Park, Brooklyn

Saturday, August 23rd, marked the 4th Annual Fort Greene Park Summer Literary Festival. The crowd gathered under the brilliant blue sky to hear Poet Laureates past and present read alongside young writers from creative writing workshops held in Fort Greene park.

	The festivities began when Master of Ceremonies Laurie A. Cumbo introduced The Indoda Entsha Percussion Ensemble. The ensemble revved up the audience with a powerful blend of traditional West African, Afro Cuban, and Hip Hop Music, complete with mesmerizing African dancing.
The Indoda Entsha Percussion Ensemble
The kids from our workshops got the words flowing, wowing the crowd with poems and stories on a wide array of topics including flight, music, war, nature and teardrops.
	David Nkaduka reads a piece written in the summer workshop.
	The afternoon continued with Louis Reyes Rivera, Poet Laureate of Bed-Stuy,and "The Janitor of History," who read rhythmic excerpts from his epic poem in progress, Jazz in Jail.
Louis Reyes Rivera
Former Poet Laureate of Queens Hal Sirowitz had the audience doubling over in laughter as he read from one of his six books of poetry, Mother Said. He witty and poignant poetry explored issues of faith, family, and history
	Hal Sirowitz
	Quincy Troupe, former Poet Laureate of California, was next up, and read several newer poems including "My Solo," and "Switchin' in the Kitchen," a politically charged and rhythmically surprising piece.
Quincy Troupe
Former Poet Laureate of New Jersey, Amiri Baraka, captivated the audience with reading selections including, "Something in the Way of Things, and "Local Peanuts". He concluded his performance with the powerful and controversial, "Somebody Blew Up America," an explosive response to the events of 9/11 which begins,         (All thinking people         oppose terrorism            both domestic            & international...            But one should not             be used            To cover the other)  The piece was met with a standing ovation.
	Amiri Baraka
Lit Fest Photo Gallery:
Kayla Quarless	Aliya Jones reads a poem.
Master of Ceremonies Laurie Cumbo with Aiden Amog	Hal Sirowitz, Quincy Troupe, Laurie Cumbo, Amiri Baraka and Louis Reyes Rivera
Young readers take a bow

Photos: Melanie Votaw

About the Festival

The Fort Greene Park Summer Literary Festival was presented by NY Writers Coalition, Akashic Books, Global Talent Associates and the Fort Greene Park Conservancy, with additional support from The Walt Whitman Project.

Sponsors include the National Endowment for the Arts, State Senator Velmanette Montgomery, Con Edison, Time Warner, the Hot Topic Foundation, Independence Community Foundation, the Pinkerton Foundation, the Valentine Perry Snyder Fund, the Brooklyn Arts Council through a grant received from the NY State Council For The Arts, Poets & Writers, Inc. through public funds from the NYC Dept. of Cultural Affairs, and the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation.

2008 Readers:

Amiri Baraka is the author of numerous books of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. He was named Poet Laureate of New Jersey by the New Jersey Commission on Humanities, from 2002–2004. His most recent book, TALES OF THE OUT & THE GONE (Akashic, 2007), was a New York Times Editors’ Choice and won a PEN/Beyond Margins Award. His last two books of poetry, Somebody Blew Up America & Other Poems and Un Poco Low Coup, received tremendous critical acclaim. Amiri and Amina Baraka live in Newark, New Jersey.

Quincy Troupe is the author of 17 books, including eight volumes of poetry, two children’s books, and six non-fiction works.  The Pursuit of Happyness, an autobiography of Chris Gardner, was a New York Times best-seller for 40 weeks; The Architecture of Language, a book of poems, won the 2007 Paterson Award for Sustained Literary Achievement. Transcircularities: New and Selected Poems won the 2003 Milt Kessler Poetry Award and was selected by Publishers Weekly as one of the ten best books of poetry published in 2002. Troupe has written two books on jazz great Miles Davis; Miles: The Autobiography, Miles Davis with Quincy Troupe and Miles and Me, a memoir, by Quincy Troupe, soon to be a major motion picture, released in 2009.  His second children’s book is Little Stevie and his third, Hallelujah: The Ray Charles Story, is scheduled for publication in 2009. He lives in Harlem, New York.  He was the first Poet Laureate of California.

Known as the "Janitor of History," poet/essayist Louis Reyes Rivera has been studying his craft since 1960 and teaching it since 1969. He is the recipient of over 20 awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award (1995), a Special Congressional Recognition Award (1988), and the CCNY 125th Anniversary Medal (1973). His essays and poems have appeared in numerous publications, including Areyto, Boletin, The City Sun, African Voices, and in five award-winning collections: In Defense of Mumia, ALOUD: Live from the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, Of Sons And Lovers, Bum Rush The Page, and his own Scattered Scripture.  Currently, Louis Reyes Rivera can be heard every Thursday, at 2pm, on radio station WBAI (99.5 FM), hosting his own weekly show, PERSPECTIVE.  He is the Poet Laureate of bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. 

Hal Sirowitz is the author of six books of poems, including Mother Said, My Therapist Said (Crown) and Before During and After (Soft Skull Press). He is the recipient of a Frederick Delius Award and The Susan Rose Recording Grant for Contemporary Jewish Music. Mother Said was released on CD with music composed by Alla Borzova, sung by Paul Sperry. Garrison Keillor has read his work on NPR's Writer's Almanac. Sirowitz has performed on MTV's Spoken Word Unplugged, PBS's Poetry Heaven, and NPR's All Things Considered. Awarded a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship and a 2003 New York State Foundation for the Arts Fellowship in Poetry. Hal is the former Poet Laureate of Queens, New York. He worked for 25 years as a special education teacher for the New York City public schools.