Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission - Rise Up and Hear: An Evening of Poetry Honoring Abraham Lincoln's Legacy

Rise Up and Hear: An Evening of Poetry Honoring Abraham Lincoln's Legacy

In collaboration with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, the ALBC showcased an evening of poetry and music enjoyed by Lincoln as well as works inspired by his leadership. Featuring a variety of well-known poets and actors, the program included readings of contemporary and classic poems.

Special guests included actors Joan Allen and Sam Waterston. Dana Gioia, poet and Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts led the evening festivities. Other attendees included former Secretary of Interior Dirk Kempthorne; ALBC Co-Chair Harold Holzer; Poet and President of the Poetry Foundation John Barr; Former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky; and 2008 Poetry Out Loud National Champion Shawntay Henry. The band Dead Man's Hollow performed Lincoln-era music.

The September 22, 2008 event took place at the Sidney Yates Auditorium in the United States Department of Interior.

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