Iowa City Poetry Alfresco 2023

Now in its third year, Iowa City Poetry Alfresco is back for an evening of open-air progressive readings. This socially distanced event will take place outdoors on Saturday, April 29, 5-8 pm (rain date, May 6), at various businesses and private residences in the Longfellow Neighborhood (the area bounded by Summit Street, Court Street, Muscatine Avenue, and the railroad tracks). It will culminate with a final reading at James Alan McPherson Park.

These in-person readings will take place every half hour from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Iowa City Poetry Advisory Council member David Duer says, “This event will provide a great opportunity to celebrate the vast wealth of literary voices in Iowa City and eastern Iowa.” The 20-minute readings will be miked to allow attendees the option to practice social distancing. For the short readings, private residence owners could provide a front porch, back patio, or area facing a back alley as a stage, anywhere that allows enough room for an audience of 20 to 25.

Iowa City Poetry is now seeking both hosts and readers for this event. If you live in the Longfellow Nieghborhood and are interested in supporting the event by hosting a reading, please contact Lisa Roberts at [email protected] or David Duer at [email protected] If you're interested in sharing your creative writing (poetry or short prose) at the event, we encourage you to fill out the short application form below.