Philanthropic grants to fund the activities of a fake university? That's so Miami -- which also happens to be one of the themes of this year's O, Miami poetry festival.
The lit fest is produced by the University of Wynwood, a sort of literary collective that organizes author readings in Miami and has a pretty stellar (and imaginary) Jai-Alai team. And it's funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
At the inaugural O, Miami in 2011, participants dragged poems behind planes, slapped them on buses and menus, shouted verse from megaphones while sitting in a luxury convertible, and an even sewed poetry into clothes at thrift stores. Read more about the inaugural festival and its reach here.
Yes, there were actual poetry readings too -- by poet laureates, hip-hop lyricists, and even by James Franco (well almost, the actor's plane was delayed and he missed his own event).
This year, O, Miami returns with the same goal: to make sure every single person in Miami-Dade County encounters a poem in the month of April.
“I can do things here that haven’t been done," organizer P. Scott Cunningham said. "It might be easier in Los Angeles or San Francisco — the audience and infrastructure would already be waiting for it. But it wouldn’t feel as exciting or necessary."
Running April 1 to April 30, O, Miami will host the following events featuring rock stars, comedians, dead poets, and rappers. Dates, times, and other event specifics are yet to be announced.
