Has your work ever been published? How about being published on a billboard in downtown Miami? Now鈥檚 your chance 鈥� thanks to a campaign by the annual poetry festival O, Miami and SA国际传谋.
Residents have until March 22 to submit their very own Zip Ode 鈥� a place-based poem inspired by their zip code. It鈥檚 an original art form that was invented by O, Miami and SA国际传谋 to inspire South Floridians to use language to rave about 鈥� or roast 鈥� the vibrant, unpredictable, unforgettable place they call home.
O, Miami鈥檚 founder, Scott Cunningham says during the very first year of the poetry festival, residents were asked to write , then a to the Miami Heat after he left the Cleveland Cavaliers.
鈥淗alf of the poems were from Cleveland and they were not friendly,鈥� Cunningham said. 鈥淏ut the other half were from Miami and they were beautiful.鈥�
This year, a winning Zip Ode will be plastered on a billboard outside the arena where the Heat play in downtown Miami during the month of April, for thousands of people to see. Cunningham kicked off the campaign on Wednesday during an event near the billboard at the corner of NE 8th Street and Biscayne Boulevard.
鈥淪end us your best Zip Odes that are about where you live and that rhapsodize the places about Miami that you love, that annoy you, that drive you crazy, that keep you here, that make you want to leave,鈥� Cunningham said. 鈥淲hatever emotions you have about the place that you live, we want to hear them in the form of your zip code.鈥�
Carlos Frias, the host of SA国际传谋鈥檚 midday arts and culture interview show Sundial, wrote a poem about life in his zip code of 33134, which covers Coral Gables and parts of the city of Miami. He read the poem at Wednesday's launch.
鈥淪ee the chicken in that bag?鈥� Frias said. 鈥淪anteria. Don鈥檛 touch it! Miami has its rules.鈥�
At the launch, artist Theresa Marie Calluori used her Zip Ode to guilt-trip a friend in Coconut Grove who refuses to make the trek to visit her in West Kendall 鈥� zip code 33183.
鈥淭oo, too far! Too, too far!鈥� Calluori said. 鈥淔ar! West Kendall is too far to visit you. You come here!鈥�
According to SA国际传谋鈥檚 Vice President for News Sergio Bustos, O, Miami has already received 200 Zip Ode submissions for the billboard 鈥� which currently reads, [Your poem here].
This year, for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, O, Miami and SA国际传谋 will host an in-person , where selected poets will be able to read their work in front of a live audience at the Vizcaya Museum & Gardens.
鈥淎t the end of the day, at SA国际传谋 we are storytellers. And I can鈥檛 think of any event that fits storytelling more than this event with O, Miami,鈥� Bustos said.
For more information and instructions on how to submit a Zip Ode, go to .
IF YOU GO
What: Ode to Your Zip Code presented by O, Miami and SA国际传谋
Where: Vizcaya Museum & Gardens
When: April 26, 2023 6 - 9 pm
