visit poetry

Poets and poetry lovers were out in full force in Kerouac Alley this evening for the kick-off party for the second San Francisco International Poetry Festival, and this despite the chilly fog that was hanging low over the city tonight.  Former SF poet laureate Jack Hirschman emceed the affair and formally introduced each of the participating poets, who have traveled from five different continents to share their work, and then as a special treat Jonathan Richman materialized at the end to play a couple songs.  There will be free readings throughout the weekend at the Palace of Fine Arts and at branch libraries around the city, all culminating in a North Beach poetry crawl and party in Washington Square Park on Sunday.  Having fully enjoyed the inaugural festival in 2007, I cannot recommend highly enough this chance to hear the poets read their work in their native tongues.