City Lore

»	Poetry Dialogues

Project Description
The Poetry Dialogues was a series of intergenerational community dialogues that employed new and traditional poetry genres--rap, slam poetry, African jali (griot) praise poetry, Muslim prayer calling, and Filipino balagtasan in which poets debate issues and challenge one another's positions. In collaboration with Poets House, City Lore composed a team of elder master poets (Kewulay Kamara, Papa Susso, Ishmaili Raishida, and Ammiel Alcalay) and young poets from African American, Muslim, and Filipino communities in New York City. Each team, assisted by a poet facilitator (Toni Blackman, Suheir Hammad, and Regie Cabico) learned about the form and content of the poetry genres, discussed issues in their own communities, and planned and implemented a joint community presentation in local community settings that generated broader dialogue issues identified through the teams' process. The project sought to help both generations discover links between their poetry forms, re-energize the artistry of these forms, and encourage both generations to employ the power of their art in expanded ways toward engaging others in public dialogue. Online poetry-based dialogues and a radio show featuring audio recordings made throughout the project will further extend the dialogue.