Last Friday, Upper Schoolers from all four grades journeyed east to the Dodge Poetry Festival. The bus ride to the four-day event, held biennially in Newark, New Jersey was quite a trek; one well worth the effort.

Morning highlights included listening to Peggy Robles-Alvarado – who shared how she blends Spanish, English, and “Spanglish” in her work to connect with her cultural roots – and Patrick Rosal – whose effervescent take on poetry filled our very own auditorium just last year. Hearing these larger-than-life figures fill the churches and theaters where the Festival took place was truly amazing!

We finished up the afternoon with a workshop examining the parallels between poetry and songwriting – and how music can either detract from or enhance a poetic experience. Hearing poetry read aloud to music was definitely an unfamiliar experience for many of us, but one we found surprisingly enjoyable.

Beyond the poetry we interacted with, the city itself promised lots of fun encounters and detours, and even the odd culinary gem. Attending the Festival was a wonderful way to destress and end the week – while also taking our learning outside the classroom. 

We hope even more MA students will join in on this fun in the future!