the poet is at the movies
dreaming the film-maker's dream but differently
free in the dark as if asleep

Adrienne Rich
(from "Images for Godard")

The cinema is cruel
like a miracle. We
sit in the darkened
room asking nothing
of the empty white
space but that it
remain pure. And
suddenly despite us
it blackens. Not by
the hand that holds
the pen.

Frank O'Hara
( from "An Image of Leda")

The 21st annual Tucson Poetry Festival? is the first in a series of Tucson Poetry Festivals? that highlights and explores poetry's connection to other forms of artistic expression, such as music, dance, and painting. 2003 marks a perfect time for us to create a 21st century, multi-media event by exploring poetry's relationship to the art form of film! With the assistance of our guest poets, local writers, photographers, filmmakers, and you -- our big, beautiful poetry and film audience -- we will examine poetry from varied cultural backgrounds, historic perspectives, and artistic issues as a means to connect poetry to the cinematic world. Serious, artistic filmmaking has co-evolved with poetry. Poetry and poets have been the subjects of many films; films and film stars have been the inspiration of many poems. Poets use cinematic devices in poems and filmmakers use poetic devices in films. Several poets have written screenplays and directed or produced films. And, there are more ways these two art forms influence and connect us to our creative spirit and lives. Put on your innovative thinking caps, grab your buttery popcorn, and take your seat at the 2003 Tucson Poetry Festival? cinema, and watch how we bring poetry to the screen and the screen to poetry.