Newsom and Hirschman announce poetry festival

San Francisco's Mayor Gavin Newsom and Poet Laureate Jack Hirschman
Photo(s) by Luke Thomas

Bay City News

July 26, 2007

Poets from around the world will convene to share the gift of words at the 2007 San Francisco International Poetry Festival, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and San Francisco Poet Laureate Jack Hirschman have announced.

"The festival honors our city's great legacy of hosting and encouraging cross cultural dialogue,'' Newsom said in a statement. "I am thrilled to be a part of this exciting event that will contribute so much to our city's unique culture and livability.''

Previous San Francisco poet laureates Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Janice Mirikitani and devorah major will be joined by Hirschman and 15 poets from around the world at the four-day festival.

Festival events, which will run from today through Sunday, will be held at the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, San Francisco branch libraries and various locations in North Beach.

Emerging and established talents representing France, Greece, Iraq, Israel, Syria and other countries will attend.

"When many languages are sounded in a harmony of presentation, the hopes of humanity are most openly affirmed,'' said Hirschman. "The festival will be the heart and soul of those affirmations.''

The festival will kick off at North Beach's Jack Kerouac Alley today at 6:30 p.m.

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