Courtesy of The Writer’s Garret.
The Dallas Is Lit! literary festival, presented by local nonprofit The Writer’s Garret, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year from Thursday, May 15 to Sunday, May 18.
The event begins on Thursday night with Hear Me, See Me, a multilingual poetry performance hosted by the Oak Cliff Assembly. The showcase will feature 11 performers, set to blend poetry and spoken word with music and movement. Tickets to Hear Me, See Me are $25.
Significantly, the former US Poet Laureate Joy Harjo, the first indigenous person and only second to hold the term for 3 consecutive years, is coming to the Texas Theatre Friday night.
Following the conversation with Harjo, festivalgoers can stick around the Texas Theatre for Late Night Lit, a live poetry slam competition that begins at 10 p.m. Eight poets will compete in a two-round competition for a $500 cash prize. Tickets are $25.
Saturday is packed full of events, which are listed on the website and include a book and author fair, a teaching artist panel discussion, a children’s storytime in Spanish, a community open mic and a Hot Ones-style event with four authors eating hot sauces while being interviewed.
Beginning at 8 p.m. Saturday, the Oak Cliff Assembly reopens for a live recital of Langston Hughes’ seminal 1959 Weary Blues album, in which the poet read poems over a soft jazz accompaniment. An all-star band of jazz musicians and poets will recreate the album live to close out Saturday’s festivities. General admission tickets are available for $50, while VIP tables are $140 for two people or $250 for four people
Sunday is the last day of the festival, and it begins with a rom-com brunch beginning at 11 a.m. at the Turner House in Oak Cliff, with tickets available for $50. Later at 5 p.m., the Writer’s Garret will hold a special celebration for its 30th anniversary, followed by a public poetry reading contest at 7 p.m. Both events will be free to attend and held at the Turner House.
