Pen to Paper: The Civic Gospel of the Declaration of Independence

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Celebrate 250 years of Jefferson’s Declaration at Pen to Paper, an afternoon of conversation, music, poetry, and theater, honoring our most shared piece of history.

Featuring voices from across American public life, Pen to Paper reflects on the Declaration’s enduring words and looks forward to a spirit of civic renewal as the nation embraces its 250th anniversary. This program also launches DECLARE: A Civic Gospel, a new collaboration between Thomas Jefferson's Monticello and the Arion Press of San Francisco.  

A VA250 Signature Event, Pen to Paper takes place on Monticello’s iconic West Lawn, featuring:

• A shared reading of the Declaration of the Independence
• Remarks from VA250 Honorary Chair Carly Fiorina and Ted Gioia, Director of Program and Development from Arion Press
• Musical performances by bluegrass musician Horace Scruggs
• A panel discussion with DECLARE contributors, moderated by Monticello President and DECLARE editor Dr. Jane Kamensky
  • Maggie Blackhawk, Professor at NYU and prize-winning scholar
  • Dr. Andrew Davenport, historian and Vice President of Research at Monticello
  • George Packer, journalist and novelist
  • Tré Seals, founder of Vocal Type and type designer
  • Poetry reading by Tim Seibles