Festival Prelude! A House Divided

House Divided unites artists, writers, thinkers, and politicos in a one-of-a-kind event to be held at the historic Great Hall at Cooper Union, where Lincoln gave his famous address on slavery. Artists and writers will unite to speak out to these divisive times in our nation, not necessarily to find a solution, but to bring the creative community into the Public Dialogue.

Answering this call, some of the most renowned and revered artists and writers of our time will join with those who are young and unknown to create a living panoply of the City’s diversity onstage at the historic Great Hall. Among them are Paul Auster, Amina Baraka, John Giorno, Jessica Hagedorn, Suheir Hammad, Yusef Komunyakaa, Joan Jonas, Jonas Mekas, Duane Michals, Marilyn Nelson, Marc Ribot, Ed Sanders (premiering a new Fugs music video: “Exorcising the White House”), Richard Serra, Anne Waldman, DeRay McKesson, Natalie Diaz, AM Homes, who, along with others, will take the stage in an effort to investigate, contemplate and meditate, perhaps even celebrate, certainly to give voice to artistic expression along the current cultural divide.

Organized and conceived by painter and poet Stefan Bondell and poet Bob Holman. Co-produced the Cooper Union Office of Community Affairs.

Co-sponsored by Poets House, The Poetry Project, Bowery Poetry, U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, Poetry Society of America, Art Production Fund, Howl! Festival, and PEN World Voices Festival.