R E S T A U R A N T P O L L B A L L O T P . 4 6 - The Austin Chronicle

THE ARTSBOOKSWhat About Our Snaps? The 2010 Austin International Poetry FestivalYes, yes, we all know Austin majors in music,but certainly it minors in poetry. The city playshost and hub to one of the most establishedpoetry scenes in the nation, a fact lost on manylocals since it isn’t electrifiedand amplified fromevery street corner. Well,that is, save for one longweekend in April, whenpoets from near (Austin)and far (abroad) gather forthe long-running AustinInternational PoetryFestival, the largest nonjuried fest of its kind inthe world. And this year, AIPF is making themost of the town’s music roots by adding theRed River club Mohawk to its list of venues. Forfestival Director Ashley Kim, the Mohawk was aReadings are free and open to the publicunless otherwise noted. Workshops areopen to registrants only; registration runsthrough Thursday, April 15. For moreinfo, visit www.aipf.org.no-brainer: “Why not bring two of Austin’s oldestand most important scenes together – poetryand music?” She points out that not only isAustin “a city of empty stages during daytimehours,” but that theMohawk also “caters to ademographic often missedby poetry organizers: 18-to 30-year-old singles.”This year’s festival willhave something to appealto all demographics: openmics, slams, youth programming,and citywide readings from local,national, and international poets, including TaraBetts, Christina Lovin, Shin Yu Pai, and KevinPilkington. Keep reading for a few of our picksfor the four-day event. – Kimberley JonesTHURSDAY, APRIL 151-3pm: Poet Victor di Suvero (who foundedNational Poetry Week in San Francisco, whichhas since grown into National Poetry Month)will read in front of his brother Mark diSuvero’s sculpture Clock Knot. (UT campus,northeast corner of Speedway & Dean Keeton)FRIDAY, APRIL 161-9pm: Citywide readings from local and visitingpoets; see www.aipf.org for lineups andlocations.SATURDAY, APRIL 1710am: Screening of The Heart of theHydrogen Jukebox, a documentary aboutAmerican Sign Language poetry, with directorMiriam Lerner in attendance. (Huston-TillotsonUniversity, Jackson-Moody Bldg., Rm. 216)10am: Victor di Suvero leads a panel of poets insymposium on the “four basic pillars of poetry.”(Long Center for the Performing Arts, RollinsStudio Theatre)3-4pm: Texas poet and world slam leaderJoaquin Zihuatanejo co-hosts with NatashaCarrizosa the Teen Slam Competition and Awards,with special guests from the Texas Youth WordCollective. (Ruta Maya)Big Poppa ESUNDAY, APRIL 1810:30am: Austin Poetry Slam Grand SlamChampion Faylita Hicks will tailor her morningperformance poetry for an audience of children(all ages welcome). (Ruta Maya)2-4pm: Austin slam royalty and Def Poetry alumBig Poppa E hosts a local open mic. (Mohawk)5pm: Toast the poets at the AIPF afterparty.(Mohawk)ALSOONVIEWNew Works: Luke SaviskyDowntown • 823 Congress Ave.512.495.9224 • www.amoa.orgCollection SelectionsFusebox Festival HeadquartersAPRIL 20–MAY 2 • AMOA–DOWNTOWN, COMMUNITY ROOMSwing by AMOA for artist talks, to buy tickets at the box office, browse the artist-curatedresource library, and ask for advice about what to see. www.fuseboxfestival.comSmithsonian InstitutionTuesday–Friday 10–5Thursday 10–8Saturday 10–6Sunday Noon–5American Letterpress: The Art of Hatch Show Print, an exhibition created by the SmithsonianInstitution Traveling Exhibition Service in collaboration with the Country Music Hall ofFame® and Museum, is supported by America’s Jazz Heritage, A Partnership of the WallaceFoundation and the Smithsonian Institution. Images courtesy of Smithsonian Institution.The Smithsonian Community Grant Program, funded by the MetLife Foundation, is a proudsponsor of these public programs.The Austin Museum of Art is Funded in part by Museum Trustees, Members and Patrons. Additional support is provided by the City ofAustin through the Cultural Arts Division and the Texas Commission on the Arts.36 T H E A U S T I N C H R O N I C L E APRIL 9, 2010 a u s t i n c h r o n i c l e . c o mPictured: Michael Amendola, Jordan McRae & Jaston Williams.Photo by Kirk R. TuckSeats Start at Just $20JASTON WILLIAMS of GREATER TUNAstars in ZACH Theatre’s Contemporary, New Production ofOUR TOWNBy THORNTON WILDER • Directed by DAVE STEAKLEYOPENS THIS WEEK! • April 15 - May 23 • ZACH’S Intimate Kleberg StageCharge Tickets Instantly at 476-0541, x1 orzachtheatre.org • facebook/zachtheatre