POETRY FESTIVAL Invites Public to FREE Concert This Today

Susan R. Williamson, Director of the Palm Beach Poetry Festival, and Dr. Blaise Allen, Director of Community Outreach, today invited local poets and fans of both poetry and music to an amazing FREE event this weekend on the Intracoastal in Deerfield Beach:

September 24 - 3:30 pm (Saturday)

6th Annual Global

100 Thousand Poets and Musicians for Change

American Rocks Bar and Grill

1600 East Hillsboro Blvd. in Deerfield Beach

FREE

The public is invited to participate in what could be the largest poetry reading in history. The Palm Beach Poetry Festival is hosting this annual open-mic event in partnership with 100 Thousand Poets for Change. This global happening will be taking place at the same time in over 800 venues in 115 countries. Poets will read and perform work to promote social, political, environmental sustainability, and change, simultaneously across the planet. Attendees are welcome to read their own work or favorite poems by other poets. Between poetry readings, special guest musicians will play songs for peace, including Carol Robinson-Garrett, Robert Langley, Stephen Minotti, Bill & Gloria Hartman, Stet Blancett, Shawn Mallon, Richard Guastella, Alan Barnes, Jash Jaroszewicz, Steven Stein, and Jeff Shelton. Attendees are welcome to play or sing along. As in previous years, the event will be photographed and archived by Stanford University. Must be over 21 years old to attend. For more information, please visit www.100Thousandpoetsforchange.com or www.100TPC.org.

About the Palm Beach Poetry Festival 2017:

The 13th annual Palm Beach Poetry Festival will be held January 16-21 at Old School Square in Delray Beach. The Festival features top poets at numerous ticketed public events, including readings, talks, interviews, panel discussions and more. Nine workshops will be offered for which applications are required.

Special Guest Poet in 2017 will be Charles Simic, past United States Poet Laureate (2007-2008) and 1990 Pulitzer Prize winner. Nine distinguished poets will lead poetry writing workshops at the Festival: David Baker, Tina Chang, Lynn Emanuel, Daisy Fried, Terrance Hayes, Dorianne Laux, Thomas Lux, Carl Phillips and Martha Rhodes, and individual conferences will be offered by nationally acclaimed poets: Sally Bliumis-Dunn, Nickole Brown and Ginger Murchison. Performances at the Field House will offer sizzling spoken word by The Mayhem Poets: Mason Granger and Scott Raven.

The 2017 Palm Beach Poetry Festival is sponsored in part by the National Endowment for the Arts; the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture; Morgan Stanley & The Legacy Group of Atlanta; the Cultural Council of Palm County, the Palm Beach County Tourism Development Council and theBoard of Commissioners of Palm Beach County; The Palm Beach Post; Visit Florida; WLRN; and Murder on the Beach, Delray Beach's independent bookseller.

For more information about the Palm Beach Poetry Festival, please visitwww.palmbeachpoetryfestival.org.