Mother Fool’s Coffee House

1101 Williamson St.

http://www.pgink.com/local/revolt/madpoets.html

METAPHORS, NOT WARS!

Standing room only at Mad Poets Revolt!

On February 12, over 125 people braved cold weather to pack Mother Fool’s Coffee House and speak out as a part of Mad Poets Revolt! The event was in solidarity with an international day of Poetry Against the War and featured almost 3 hours of poetry, music and comedy from over 30 performers. This reading was one of hundreds of poetry events across the United States and around the globe on that day.

Along with the poetry and music, Mad Poets Revolt! featured special guest speakers Ellen Kort, Wisconsin’s Poet Laureate; Matthew Rothschild, editor of the Progressive; and local activist and Vietnam War veteran Will Williams.

"This was an incredible event," Rothschild said. "The energy, enthusiasm, and passion the poets brought to their readings captivated the audience. And the evening proved that Madison poets are not sitting still for war."

The evening had a carnival atmosphere, starting with an impromptu picket against the war outside of Mother Fool’s. The audience continued the direct action by sending packets of rice to the President encouraging him to feed the people of Iraq instead of bombing them. Also available was information on contacting people’s various representatives as well as forms for parents to opt their children out of sharing personal information with military recruiters.

Through generous donations from the audience we raised $245. This money will be split between Madison Area Peace Coalition and Voices in the Wilderness to fund their activities in support of peace.

For more information on the event please check out www.pgink.com/local/revolt/madpoets.html, The website features photos, audio and local press on the event as well as links to the national poetry against the war movement. Complete audio and video of the event is available for the press and also will be submitted to a documentary project about the international Poets Against the War movement.

To learn more about the groups involved please visit:

Premiere Generation Ink www.pgink.com

Mad Poetry www.madpoetry.org

Poets Against the War www.poetsagainstthewar.org

Madison Area Peace Coalition www.madpeace.org

Voices in the Wilderness www.nonviolence.org/vitw

An Open Letter from Sam Hamill

Dear Friends and Fellow Poets:

When I picked up my mail and saw the letter marked "The White House," I felt no joy. Rather I was overcome by a kind of nausea as I read the card enclosed:

Laura Bush requests the pleasure of your company

at a reception and White House Symposium

on "Poetry and the American Voice"

on Wednesday, February 12, 2003 at one o'clock

Only the day before I had read a lengthy report on George Bush's proposed "Shock and Awe" attack on Iraq, calling for saturation bombing that would be like the firebombing of Dresden or Tokyo, killing countless innocent civilians. Nor has he excluded use of nuclear weapons.

I believe the only legitimate response to such a morally bankrupt and unconscionable idea is to reconstitute a Poets Against the War movement like the one organized to speak out against the war in Vietnam.

I am asking every poet to speak up for the conscience of our country and lend his or her name to our petition against this war, and to make February 12 a day of Poetry Against the War. We will compile an anthology of protest to be presented to the White House on that afternoon.

Please submit your name and a poem or statement of conscience to the Poets Against the War Web site.

There is little time to organize and compile. I urge you to pass along this letter to any poets you know. Please join me in making February 12 a day when the White House can truly hear the voices of American poets.

-- Sam Hamill, Founding Editor and Co-founder of Copper Canyon Press