Unless otherwise noted, all events are free.
Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield, MA
For this event, the poet’s challenge is to use their art to explore and share personal stories centered around working in America - the challenges, triumphs and realities - from work we love, to work that doesn't love us back.
“Work is about a search for daily meaning as well as daily bread, for recognition as well as cash, for astonishment rather than torpor; in short, for a sort of life rather than a Monday through Friday sort of dying." - Studs Terkel
Poets Creating Conversation is a three-part series that asks poets to help us unpack and navigate through issues that we are all inexorably wrapped in. Expect hard truths and humor; cautionary tales and inspirational stories all rolled into a fast paced program. Information for poets interested in participating
Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield, MA
Second of two qualifiers for the WXW Indie Poetry Slam Finals. 8 poets go two rounds, 3 will advance to the finals on August 4. Information for poets interested in competing.
Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield
Wear your walking shoes as poets, dancers, and other performers respond to the SculptureNow exhibition on the grounds of The Mount. In partnership with Jacob’s Pillow, Lift Ev’ry Voice, and The Mount.
The Mount, 2 Plunkett Street, Lenox
There have been summers of love and summers of unrest. It’s summertime and it’s our 10th annual festival, so we’re asking poets to climb the 3 meter board and step off.
Berkshire Athenaeum, 1 Wendell Ave, Pittsfield
First person, true stories, scored olympic-style!
Starts at Dottie’s, 444 North Street, Pittsfield
Wear your walking shoes as poetry takes a walk Uptown with stops along the way for poetry al fresco.
Berkshire Athenaeum, 1 Wendell Ave, Pittsfield
To celebrate Leonard Bernstein’s 100th birthday, WXW has challenged poets to not ‘crash and Bernstein’ in response to poetry used by the maestro in his American bicentennial tribute.
Dottie’s, 444 North Street, Pittsfield
Poets compete one-on-one armed with only 17 syllables.
Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, 28 Renne Ave, Pittsfield
Outspoken youth are rephrasing our world!
Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield
Poets throw down in this mind boggling, word tossing, eye gouging - friendly - competition.
The Mount, 2 Plunkett Street, Lenox
Four nationally recognized poetry slam teams roll out their best stuff in preparation for the National Poetry Slam in Chicago.
Previous Events 2018
Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield, MA
Poets present work that reflects on, is inspired by, or otherwise connects with the legacy of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr.
Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield, MA
For 10x10, WXW has invited 3 dynamic young poets - Doni Smith, Grace Rossman and Sage - to curate a program of passionate, forward facing voices, to unapologetically share their truths in a fast paced, expectation-shattering spoken word event.
Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield, MA
Everybody's got something to say. Public education, home school, k-12, college, or the lessons that life has dropped on us. In this fast paced program, poets are challenged to apply their creative energy to slicing and dicing education in America. From inside the halls and walls of our institutions to the “real” world, cautionary tales and inspirational stories, told as only a poet can.
Poets Creating Conversation is a three-part series that asks poets to help us unpack and navigate through issues that we are all inexorably wrapped in. Expect hard truths and humor; cautionary tales and inspirational stories all rolled into a fast paced program. Information for poets interested in participating.
Dottie's, 444 North Street, Pittsfield, MA
For the 2nd Annual WordXWord Women's Invitational Poetry Slam we've invited a field of fantastic female poets to put their work on the line. Save the date and plan on getting there early if you want a seat!
Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield, MA
Whether you're talking about identity; equity and parity; privilege or pronouns; harassment or assault; cis, trans or non - we all live in, around or beside gender. For this event, we’ve challenged poets and spoken word artists to apply their creativity to help us find our way forward.
Poets Creating Conversation is a three-part series that asks poets to help us unpack and navigate through issues that we are all inexorably wrapped in. Expect hard truths and humor; cautionary tales and inspirational stories all rolled into a fast paced program. Information for poets interested in participating
Williams Bookstore , 81 Spring Street, Williamstown
A lot of poetry has been born and raised in a coffee shop. To bring things full circle, Tunnel City Coffee and WordXWord have invited poets to share their work - caffeinated or otherwise - in the context of Tunnel City's newest shop inside the Williams Bookstore. Enjoy mocktail samples at 6:30. Readings begin at 7P. Information for poets interested in sharing their work
WXW @ 2018 Berkshire Earth Expo
Stationery Factory, 63 Flansburg Ave, Dalton
Poets at the intersection of climate and humanity. Special event in cooperation with the 2018 Berkshire Earth Expo / Environmental Action Fair. Poets interested in participating can sign up here.
The Mount, 2 Plunkett Street, Lenox
Poets share through spoken word selected works created in response to WXW’s 30/30 Poetry Challenge of creating a poem a day for the 30 days of April. Free, but reservations required due to limited capacity.
Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield, MA
For this event, the poet’s challenge is to use art to explore and share personal journeys around race and xenophobia - issues that are inexorably wrapped around the history of America and reflected in much of the current discourse. By sharing personal stories, observations, moments of inspiration, and hope, we look to create a broad poetic tapestry with a goal that the resulting “conversation” between creative voices will make us stronger.
Poets Creating Conversation is a three-part series that asks poets to help us unpack and navigate through issues that we are all inexorably wrapped in. Expect hard truths and humor; cautionary tales and inspirational stories all rolled into a fast paced program. Information for poets interested in participating
Pittsfield, MA
Workshops, Open Mics and Poetry Slams for youth ages 12 - 22. OutspokenYouth.com
Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield, MA
With an "occupancy guarantee," the Corrections Corporation of America reported $1.9 billion in revenue and a net of $221 million in 2015. The United States locks up more people per capita than any other nation. Combine incarceration with probation and parole, and there are nearly 7 million persons under correctional supervision. Multiply that by friends and family, add in the effects of living in over policed communities, factor in the disproportionate over-representation of black men in this population and there’s a lot to talk about.
Poets Creating Conversation is a three-part series that asks poets to help us unpack and navigate through issues that we are all inexorably wrapped in. Expect hard truths and humor; cautionary tales and inspirational stories all rolled into a fast paced program. Information for poets interested in participating
Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield, MA
First of two qualifiers for the WXW Indie Poetry Slam Finals. 8 poets go two rounds, 3 will advance to the finals on August 4. Information for poets interested in competing.
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WordXWord uses spoken word, poetry and storytelling in shared space and time to celebrate diversity and creativity, empower the individual, foster understanding and empathy, and make real human connections.
All WXW programs are free and open to all. WordXWord Festival, Inc is a 501(C)(3).
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