Attention Poetry Fans: The San Francisco Int'l Poetry Festival Starts Tomorrow

Like a comet, or a certain Venetian art fair, the San Francisco International Poetry Festival only comes around every two years, and the second biennial fest kicks off tomorrow with a party in Jack Kerouac Alley in North Beach and the gathering of poets from two dozen countries. The festival will be co-hosted by San Francisco Poet Laureate Diane DiPrima and Poet Laureate Emeritus Jack Hirschman, and a special honor will be given to another Poet Laureate Emeritus, Lawrence Ferlinghetti (who'll be reading at the main stage event on Friday at the Palace of Fine Arts). Though that's the official kickoff, there is actually a screening tonight at Koret Auditorium at USF of a documetary about Jack Hirschman directed by Matthew Furey. All the festival's events are listed here, so for all you frustrated haiku composers out there, you might want to go have a listen to some masters.