NM Updates: 100 Thousand Poets for Change Event

Bringing us up to date on plans for #100T Poets & this weekend's #NMpoetry mega-event, Zach K writes

Just wanted to hit you with a couple of exciting announcements and updates as we get closer to the global phenomenon of 100 Thousand Poets for Change ~ 

First off, be sure to visit our local website: it has the schedule and details of what's going down in Albuquerque and the rest of NM, including Santa Fe and the Tijeras Poets Picnic sponsored by the NM State Poetry Society

All weekend we are hosting a food drive and donation drive, so please bring non-perishable food items, men’s coats, blankets, white tube socks or other clothing for distribution through Roadrunner Food Bank and St. Martin’s. We are also accepting cash gifts throughout the weekend to be distributed back into the community.
If you haven’t seen the website or have had trouble with the menus- click on Schedule for event outlines and details. Click on the Saturday button for the list of performers, bios and workshop schedules. Please arrive a few minutes early for workshops and be sure to sign in so we have a record for the future!


We have some great workshops coming into development that I think you will love with facilitators like Debbi Brody, E.A. Tony Mares, Mudman Johnson, and many more. So plan to spend a couple hours at the Projects taking these free workshops and immersing yourself in the social dialogue!

Secondly, we have just partnered with MoveOn, a tremendous non-partisan political change group that many of you may already know. What this mean is that they will be joining us for our Game Changer event on Friday September 23 (a lead in event). For those of you who don't know, we will be building a giant living chess board out of poets on the Civic Plaza  from 6 to 7 pm. Poets will read from their work and create a striking visual metaphor..and MoveOn will be there leading a rally and supporting us as well.

We're expecting a huge turn-out for this event so poets should expect to have their work heard by a lot of people, meaning we can reach a lot of people at once and share some insights, solutions and hope for sustainability and peace.

I am asking poets and audience, anyone who is willing to do so, to dress in black or white, so we can really turn the levels up and make this metaphor as stunning as possible. MoveOn will also be around  on Saturday with great insights into the political and social changes happening around the state and the world.

If you want to participate or help with donations and still haven't signed up, please contact me immediately! Remember, all these events are free of charge...so bring a pen and a mindful heart and join us for the largest poetry reading in history and a beautiful day of community!

Last but not least - we will be gathering a collection of poems for the website, which will become part of the historical record through Stanford University so if you have a poem about change to share with the world, send it to me at zgkluckman@msn.com with the subject line “Poem for the Record - Your Name”

Zachary Kluckman, Artistica
Spoken Word Editor - The Pedestal Magazine
Associate Editor - The Journal of Truth and Consequence
Albuquerque Slam Poet Laureate Program Director