Oxford, Mississippi

Organizer: Ann Fisher-Wirth

Oxford, MS is considered a “literary community,” yet the everyday
Oxford resident rarely encounters poems outside of an academic
environment. Our idea of change is to redefine what a “literary
community” can be by performing a series of “flash readings” across
the city. We are involving local business, restaurants, bars, vendors,
artists, etc. and hope to create a twelve-hour, city-wide poetry
reading on September 29th.

The Oxford, MS 100 Thousand Poets for Change event went so well! I’ve attached some photos by our local photographer Milly West. The photographs show our “Poetry Booth” where we wrote spontaneous poems for residents and visitors to Oxford, handed out food from local bakeries, and passed out “mini broadsides” designed by an art student. Some of the other photographs show our readers who went around the Oxford area reading and reciting poems in business and on the sidewalks to unsuspecting passersby. Overall, it was a huge success. Thanks so much for letting Oxford, MS be a part of this wonderful day!