Milwaukee’s Epic Poetry Marathon

On Jan. 31 through the first hour of Feb. 1, Woodland Pattern Book Center (720 E. Locust St.) will host its 15th Annual Poetry Marathon and Benefit. This year's poets from Milwaukee and beyond will be a diverse group, ranging from teachers to truck drivers, musicians and more. Performers can present their word by simply speaking, or they can also accompany their reading with music or visuals.

Three of the marathon's hours are dedicated to specific kinds of poets. Hour one, from 10 to 11 a.m., will showcase students who have participated in Woodland Pattern's Urban Youth Literary Arts program. These children range in age from 11 to 18 and will perform a poem in connection with another form of art, varying from dance to music. Later that evening, from 9 to 10 p.m., an hour will be dedicated to women authors who will read works of fiction and non-fiction as well as poetry. It will be followed by an hour of work, from 10 to 11 p.m., which could include everything from singing to a recitation accompanied by the act of painting.

In conjunction with the marathon is an exhibition called The Graphic Poem, featuring comics by Gary Sullivan and other contemporary poets. Woodland Pattern's co-founder Anne Kingsbury says the exhibit will offer spectators a chance not only to hear performances but to read work directly from the walls. The Graphic Poem will be up through April 19.

Advanced tickets for the Poetry Marathon are $7. Tickets can be bought throughout the day at $8, or $7 for students and seniors and $6 for Woodland Pattern members. The show will run from 10 a.m. Saturday to 1 a.m. Sunday. Stone Creek coffee and an array of snacks will be available.