Nelson George to Explore Brooklyn’s Black Bohemian Arts Movement at Dodge Poetry Festival

Filmmaker and author Nelson George will lead “Do The Write Thing! Is Brooklyn in the House?” as part of the Dodge Poetry Festival. Through conversation and multimedia, the program will explore the Brooklyn Moon poetry scene and its place in the Black bohemian arts movement.

The event takes place Saturday, October 17, at 8 p.m. at NJPAC. Audiences will hear about the artists, poetry and creative community that helped shape the movement.

George's forthcoming book, Brooklyn Bohemians: How the Funky, Fly, Soon-to-Be-Famous Black Artists of Fort Greene/Clinton Hill Changed American Culture, traces Brooklyn's extraordinary creative legacy from 1985 onward. In Fort Greene and Clinton Hill, artists across music, film, literature, and performance helped shape American culture—from Spike Lee and Public Enemy's collaboration on “Fight the Power” for Do the Right Thing to the spoken word energy of Brooklyn Moon Cafe, where Mos Def, Talib Kweli, and Saul Williams were part of a vibrant creative community.

Widely respected for chronicling the Black experience in America through writing and filmmaking, George is the author of influential histories of African American music and culture, acclaimed novels, and documentaries including Brooklyn Boheme, Say Hey, Willie Mays!, and A Ballerina's Tale.

The evening will feature Jessica Care Moore, Tracie Morris, Vernon Reid, Carl Hancock Rux, DJ Spinna, and more, bringing together voices from poetry, music, film, and performance for a dynamic celebration of Brooklyn's Black bohemian legacy.

Tickets for “Do The Write Thing!” A Discussion led by Nelson George are on sale now at njpac.org.

DODGE POETRY FESTIVAL SCHEDULE - MANY FREE EVENTS!

Thursday, October 15th

• 11:00-12:10 PM: Academy of American Poets: What We Do With Grief with Kimiko Hahn, Ilya Kaminsky, and Afaa Michael Weaver at NJPAC Victoria Theater
• 12:30-1:40 PM: Academy of American Poets: The Art of Revision with Jericho Brown, Cornelius Eady, and Patricia Smith at NJPAC Victoria Theater
• 2:00-3:10 PM: Academy of American Poets: Poetry Ancestors with Natalie Diaz and Ed Roberson at NJPAC Victoria Theater
• 3:30-4:50 PM: Making a Life in Poetry: Patricia Smith, Glenis Redmond, Diamond Forde, Peter E. Murphy at NJPAC Victoria Theater
• 7:00-10:00 PM: EvoluCulture's Open Mic & Mixer at NICO Kitchen + Bar 

Friday, October 16th

• 9:30-10:40 AM: What Happens to a Dream Deferred?: Stephanie Burt, Tongo Eisen-Martin, Diamond Forde, and Naomi Shihab Nye at NJPAC Prudential Hall
• 9:30-10:40 AM: New Jeru Slam Team featuring John Burke, Keynote, RADI, and SNC at NJPAC Victoria Theater
• 9:30-10:40 AM: Poetry and the Body: Quenton Baker, Meg Day, Dena Igusti, and Cindy Juyoung Ok at Robert Treat Hotel-Pennsylvania Room
• 9:30-10:40 AM: Developing a Lexicon Toward Liberation: Dr. Grisel Y. Acosta, Tyehimba Jess, and Frank X Walker at Robert Treat Hotel -New Jersey Room
• 9:30-10:40 AM: Finding Our Ancestors in the Stars: Antoinette Ellis-Williams, Barbara Fant, Adrian Matejka, and Chanda Prescod-Weinstein at Trinity & St. Philip's Cathedral
• 9:30-10:40 AM: Poetry & the Sacred: Mckendy Fils-Aimé, Jessica Jacobs, Nick Martino, and Alysha Wise at First Baptist Peddie Memorial Church
• 9:30-10:40 AM: Story, Sound, Synergy, Light: The Interdisciplinary Poetic Experience: Jose Gonzalez, Cara Hagan, Martha Mooke, and Melida Rodas, moderated by I. Buenaventura at Express Newark (Lecture Hall)
• 9:30-10:40 AM: Festival Open Mic at New Jersey Historical Society
• 11:00-12:10 PM: Griots, Troubadours and MCs: Poetry and the Oral Tradition: Jive Poetic, and Gabriel Ramirez at NJPAC Prudential Hall
• 11:00-12:10 PM: Griots, Troubadours and MCs: Poetry and the Oral Tradition: Terrance Hayes, Rickey Laurentiis, and Glenis Redmond    at NJPAC Victoria Theater
• 11:00-12:10 PM: Griots, Troubadours and MCs: Poetry and the Oral Tradition: Rajiv Mohabir, Peter E. Murphy, and Evie Shockley at Robert Treat Hotel-Pennsylvania Room
• 11:00-12:10 PM: Griots, Troubadours and MCs: Poetry and the Oral Tradition: Noah Arhm Choi, Malcolm Friend, and Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha at Robert Treat Hotel -New Jersey Room
• 11:00-12:10 PM: Griots, Troubadours and MCs: Poetry and the Oral Tradition: Leslie McIntosh, E. Ethelbert Miller, and Noel Quiñones at Trinity & St. Philip's Cathedral
• 11:00-12:10 PM: Griots, Troubadours and MCs: Poetry and the Oral Tradition: Anthony Cody, Roberto Carlos Garcia, and Aja Monet at First Baptist Peddie Memorial Church
• 11:00-12:10 PM: Griots, Troubadours and MCs: Poetry and the Oral Tradition: Sarah Browning, Marina Carreira, and José Olivarez at Express Newark (Lecture Hall)
• 11:00-12:10 PM: Festival Open Mic at New Jersey Historical Society
• 12:40-1:50 PM: Writing Our Story, Preventing Erasure: Quenton Baker, Amanda Johnston, Adrian Matejka, and Danez Smith at NJPAC Prudential Hall
• 12:40-1:50 PM: We Are Not Your Labels: Dena Igusti, walela Nehanda, and Cindy Juyoung Ok at NJPAC Victoria Theater
• 12:40-1:50 PM: Radical Love & Liberation: Aja Monet, Mckendy Fils-Aimé, Mayda del Valle, Marc Bamuthi Joseph at Robert Treat Hotel-Pennsylvania Room
• 12:40-1:50 PM: Africana Institute's 14th State of Black Writers Symposium: Tehsuan Glover, Rashida Nakia, and Mia x at Robert Treat Hotel New Jersey Room
• 12:40-1:50 PM: Writing Home: Brent Ameneyro, Ana Portnoy Brimmer, Anthony Cody, and Nick Martino at Trinity & St. Philip's Cathedral
• 12:40-1:50 PM: Taking Off the Mask: On Vulnerability in Poetry: Diamond Forde, Jessica Jacobs, and Alysha Wise         at First Baptist Peddie Memorial Church
• 12:40-1:50 PM: Writing Speculative Futures: Stephanie Burt, Len Lawson, Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, and Julian Randall at Express Newark (Lecture Hall)
• 12:40-1:50 PM: Festival Open Mic at New Jersey Historical Society
• 2:10-3:20 PM: Let Me Show You How It's Done: Poetry & Performance: Sarah Browning, Jive Poetic, and Noel Quiñones at NJPAC Victoria Theater
• 2:10-3:20 PM: Where's Jersey At? Fostering Community in our Neighborhoods: Dr. Grisel Y. Acosta, Marina Carreira, and Peter E. Murphy at Trinity & St. Philip's Cathedral
• 2:10-3:20 PM: To Be Young, Gifted and Black: Barbara Fant, Malcolm Friend, and Gabriel Ramirez at First Baptist Peddie Memorial Church
• 2:10-3:20 PM: Festival Open Mic at New Jersey Historical Society
• 4:00-5:40 PM: Redemption Time [movie screening and talk back] at NJPAC Victoria Theater
• 8:00 PM: Patti Smith: Songs and Stories at NJPAC Prudential Hall

Saturday, October 17th

• 9:30-10:40 AM: Praise & Reclamation: Meg Day, Tongo Eisen-Martin, Rickey Laurentiis, Rajiv Mohabir, Naomi Shihab Nye, José Olivarez, and Danez Smith at NJPAC Victoria Theater
• 11:00-4:00 PM: Family Fun Day at Chambers Plaza
• 11:00-12:10 PM: The Future is Female: Elizabeth Acevedo, Diamond Forde, Aja Monet, and Patricia Smith at NJPAC Victoria Theater
• 11:00-12:10 PM: Writing Workshop: Alysha Wise at NJPAC Parsonnet Room
• 11:00-12:10 PM: Transient Worlds: Poetry & Translation: Carol Moldaw, Arthur Sze, and Michael Wiegers at Robert Treat Hotel-Pennsylvania Room
• 11:00-12:10 PM: The Body, a Love Song: Claudia Cortese, Mckendy Fils-Aimé, Terrance Hayes, and Julian Randall at Robert Treat Hotel -New Jersey Room
• 11:00-12:10 PM: Historical Legend & Poetry: Tyehimba Jess, E. Ethelbert Miller, and Frank X Walker at Trinity & St. Philip's Cathedral
• 11:00-12:10 PM: Finding Our Ancestors in the Stars: Mayda del Valle, Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, Gabriel Ramirez, and Evie Shockley        at First Baptist Peddie Memorial Church
• 11:00-12:10 PM: Dodge Poetry Youth Anthology Release (featuring Ms. Betty Neals and Darius Parker) (11-1)    at Newark Public Library
• 11:00-12:10 PM: Festival Open Mic at New Jersey Historical Society
• 12:30-1:40 PM: Cave Canem's 30th Anniversary at NJPAC Victoria Theater
• 12:30-1:40 PM: Writing Workshop: Amanda Johnston at NJPAC Parsonnet Room
• 12:30-1:40 PM: When Memory Speaks: A Dodge Poetry Festival Reading with CantoMundo: Jay Aja, María Fernanda Chamorro, and Noel Quiñones at Robert Treat Hotel-Pennsylvania Room
• 12:30-1:40 PM: Queering the Poem: Marina Carreira, Noah Arhm Choi, Rickey Laurentiis, and Leslie McIntosh   at Robert Treat Hotel -New Jersey Room
• 12:30-1:40 PM: Writing Radical Joy: Stephanie Burt, Malcolm Friend, José Olivarez, and Glenis Redmond at Trinity & St. Philip's Cathedral
• 12:30-1:40 PM: Writing Our Land: Dr. Grisel Y. Acosta, Sarah Browning, Anthony Cody, Jessica Jacobs, and Peter E. Murphy  at First Baptist Peddie Memorial Church
• 12:30-1:40 PM: Mental Wellness & Poetry: Len Lawson, walela Nehanda, Cindy Juyoung Ok, and Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha at Express Newark (Lecture Hall)
• 12:30-1:40 PM: Festival Open Mic at New Jersey Historical Society
• 2:00-3:10 PM: Writing Workshop: Brent Ameneyro    at NJPAC Parsonnet Room
• 2:00-3:10 PM: Diaspora and Liberation: A Dodge Poetry Festival Reading with Lampblack Lit: Attorious Renée Augustin, Kailah Hodge, and Mya Matteo Alexice at Robert Treat Hotel-Pennsylvania Room
• 2:00-3:10 PM: Embodied Connection: A Dodge Poetry Festival Reading with Kundiman: Fatimah Asghar, Sanam Sheriff, R. A. Villanueva at Robert Treat Hotel -New Jersey Room
• 2:00-3:10 PM: Poetry as Time Capsule: Dena Igusti, Adrian Matejka, Danez Smith, and Frank X Walker at Trinity & St. Philip's Cathedral
• 2:00-3:10 PM: Griots, Troubadours and MCs: Poetry and the Oral Tradition: Mayda del Valle, Tyehimba Jess, Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Patricia Smith, and Alysha Wise at First Baptist Peddie Memorial Church
• 2:00-3:10 PM: Developing a Lexicon Toward Liberation: Meg Day, Rajiv Mohabir, Noel Quiñones, and Evie Shockley at Express Newark (Lecture Hall)
• 2:00-3:10 PM: Festival Open Mic at New Jersey Historical Society
• 3:30-4:40 PM: Writing Workshop: Barbara Fant at NJPAC Parsonnet Room
• 3:30-4:40 PM: The Fusion of Form & Feeling: Quenton Baker, Terrance Hayes, Amanda Johnston, and E. Ethelbert Miller Robert Treat Hotel-Pennsylvania Room
• 3:30-4:40 PM: Writing Our Story, Preventing Erasure: Tongo Eisen-Martin, Nick Martino, Carol Moldaw, and Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha at Robert Treat Hotel -New Jersey Room
• 3:30-4:40 PM: Saying What We Must: Ana Portnoy Brimmer, Roberto Carlos Garcia, and Naomi Shihab Nye       at Trinity & St. Philip's Cathedral
• 3:30-4:40 PM: Poetry & Survival: Antoinette Ellis-Williams, Jive Poetic, Julian Randall, and Melida Rodas at First Baptist Peddie Memorial Church
• 3:30-4:40 PM: Poetry Foundation presents the 2026 Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellows: xochi quetzali cartland, Fatima Jafar, Shaina Jones, Noel Munguia-Moreno, and Tariq Thompson at Express Newark (Lecture Hall)
• 3:30-4:40 PM Festival Open Mic      at New Jersey Historical Society
• 5:00 PM: Def Poetry Reunion NJPAC Victoria Theater
• 8:00 PM- Do the Write Thing at NJPAC Prudential Hall

Dodge Poetry Festival Ticketing