A communal poetry jam 

The Poets’ Playground Collective turns refunct shipping containers into shelters for art, mutual aid, and emotional truth.

Join us for an afternoon of:

• Poetry readings

• Writing workshops

• Interactive exhibits

• Local book shopping

• Keynote art talk

• Mutual aid activity

Featuring poetry experiences by Anna Weaver x Writeaways, Angelica Whitehorne x Antino Art, Paradigm Poetry x Poetry Fox, Sam Canney and more.

Ages 16+. All proceeds support our community's artists and changemakers.

Free and Ticketed Experiences - RSVP Today

Select tickets for ALL the poetry experienced you plan to attend: 

• Free RSVP | Includes drop-in admission to both...
  • Reader's Rallyway: A literary artwalk (4pm-5pm)
  • Poetry Fox, not in costume: A conversation with Chris Vitiello (7pm-8pm)
• Paid Admit | Choose one (designed for you to join from start to finish)...
  • $25 | Creative Canopy: A creative writing retreat with Writeaways (4pm-7pm)
  • $10 | Revolutionary’s Refuge: A co-creative reading & workshop with Angelica Whitehorne & Antino Art

See more details for each experience, below. 

(Free RSVP) Reader's Rallyway and Poetry Fox, not in costume: A conversation with Chris Vitiello

Reader's Rallyway: A Local Poetry Bookfair and Literary Art Walkthrough | Time: 4:00PM to 5:00PM

Note: The 4-5pm timeframe is for a drop-in group walkthrough. Both bookfair and poetry exhibitions are open for the duration of HOMECOMING. 

Join three local poets in an artwalk featuring poems by revolutionary writers in and around familiar third spaces. You'll be a part of insightful discussions about relief in uncertainty and what it takes to protect and empower the most vulnerable members of our community. 

The poem exhibit also welcomes local poetry and zine publishers at a small book fair, including: River River Books and Big Baby Little Press. There will be special broadsides featuring poems by Dasan Ahanu, Poetry Fox, and other poets performing at HOMECOMING.

Poetry Fox, not in costume: A conversation with Chris Vitiello | Time: 7:00PM to 8:00PM

This is a unique opportunity to hear from the hardest working person in poetry, Chris Vitiello (Poetry Fox and Durham Poet Laureate). We will explore how he creates such voluminous work from inside the fox costume, the non-fox writing and publishing he does, and more about his efforts to spread poetry around the triangle.

Hosted by Sam Pepple. Read more about the speakers on the activity page here.

($25) Creative Canopy: A creative writing retreat with Writeaways

Time: 4:00PM to 7:00PM | Plan to attend from start to finish (cannot be purchased with Revolutionary's Refuge)

Take advantage of this rare opportunity to take part in a poetry workshop led by Mimi Herman and John Yewell of Writeaways, the renowned international workshop/retreat headquartered right here in the Triangle. Mimi & John have been helping people become better writers for over ten years, with programs in France, Italy, Ireland, New Mexico and North Carolina.

Each poet will receive expert feedback from the instructors, as well as other participants, on 1-2 original poems. Poets will have time to revise and return to the space to share the results.

Hosted by Writeaways. Read more about the facilitators on the activity page here.

($10) Revolutionary’s Refuge: A co-creative reading & workshop with Angelica Whitehorne & Antino Art

Note: Free tickets are available for the economically-distressed. 

Time: 5:00PM to 6:45PM | Plan to attend from start to finish (cannot be purchased with Creative Canopy)

Join the Poets’ Playground Collective for a cento workshop exploring how we find solace, inspiration, and refuge in poetic lineage. Cento is a style of poem that is made up of quotations from other works. In this workshop, we'll listen to the works of revolutionary poets, and use printouts of their pieces to create new poems of our own, with the option to share at the end.

Featuring a special reading by local award-winning artist, poet, playwright, performer, educator, cultural organizer Dasan Ahanu.

To participate, bring a poem that inspires you and a new or used book to donate to Prison Book Collective (No Hardcover, spiral-bound, or marked-in books). Book donors are automatically entered for a chance to win a free chapbook from our indie book market.

Hosted by Antino Art & Angelica Whitehorn. Read more about the readers and hosts here.

Cancellations and Refunds

If you can't make it, please send a note to programming@rtp.org so we can release your spot to someone on the waitlist.

Full refunds are available for cancellations at least 7 days in advance. Refunds requested at least 7 days prior to the event will be processed to your original payment method within 10 business days of your request. Please reach out to your financial institution for more information on when the refunded amount will return to your account.

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Note: By participating in this event, you consent to the recording of your likeness, image, and/or voice and authorize Boxyard RTP to use photographs, video, and audio recordings containing your likeness, image, and/or voice in any medium for any purpose.