Programs

Poetry and the American Dream

Numerous great American poets from Walt Whitman to Maya Angelou have written poems that delve into the psyche of America. Their poems reflect the sensibilities of migration and nation building, and the landscapes created from dreams fulfilled or deferred in the wake of apathy, betrayal or war. These poems can elevate, act as warnings or serve as guideposts for reflection.  Join poet and teaching artist Linda Joy Burke for “Poetry and the American Dream” and read, listen to, and discuss poetry that speaks to this topic. Participants will have an opportunity to create personal “American Dream” poems. 

Performance poet, writer, percussionist and amateur photographer Linda Joy Burke is currently a consulting editor to The Little Patuxent Review literary and art anthology and a Maryland State Arts Council Coordinator for the Poetry Out Loud National Recitation Competition.  Burke’s poetry, fiction, op-ed columns, reviews, profiles and feature stories have appeared in numerous publications including The Little Patuxent Review, Obsidian II Black Literature in Review, Beltway: An On-Line Quarterly, Passager, Healing Design. She has conducted workshops and residency programs for diverse audiences using a multi-disciplined approach for women’s groups, festivals, conferences and students at numerous venues and is a sought after adjudicator for regional poetry literary and spoken word competitions. Her work can be experienced on her blogs: Moods Minds and Multitudes, The Bird Talks Blog Too, and I Grew Up to Be the Neighborhood Nosey Lady.

Photo by David Hobby.