National Poetry Month — April 2015
Celebrate National Poetry Month at one of these exciting upcoming events in your area:
Poetry & the Creative Mind
April 15, 2015 at 6:30 p.m.
Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center
1941 Broadway
New York, NY
Tickets start at $45
Presented by The Academy of American Poets, this gala celebration of poetry’s important place in our culture features leading and legendary actors, dancers, artists, musicians, and public figures sharing their favorite poems. Contact: academy@poets.org
Children’s Poetry Day: A Poetry Menagerie
April 18, 2015
10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Poetry Foundation
61 West Superior Street
Chicago, IL
Free Admission
“Celebrate National Poetry Month with a delightful open house just for kids at the Poetry Foundation Library.” Performances by Adventure Sandwich and Jasmine Barber, Animal Shadow Puppets led by Youth and Family Programs at the Art Institute of Chicago, and poetry writing activities for children up to 13 years old.
Poets House @ Brookfield Place
April 19, 2015 at 1:00 p.m.
Winter Garden at Brookfield Place
250 Vesey Street
New York, NY
Free Admission
Presented by Arts Brookfield; Sponsored by Poets House
“Join our hosts, spoken word artist Mahogany Browne and Brooklyn Poet Laureate Tina Chang, and students from Third Street Music School Settlement to celebrate spring in the new Winter Garden, Brookfield Place’s spectacular glass atrium with views of the new World Trade Center and the Hudson River. Performances include poetry by local schoolchildren, songs from classic New York City musicals and Pete Seeger, as well as percussion and original compositions by Third Street students.”
Performances from 2-3 p.m.
Interactive poetry-making activities for kids and adults of all ages will be held before and after the event.
The Open Door Readings: April
April 21, 2015 at 7:00 p.m.
Poetry Foundation
61 West Superior Street
Chicago, IL
Free Admission
“The Open Door series presents work from Chicago’s new and emerging poets and highlights the area’s outstanding writing programs.” April’s Reading features Northwestern University’s Averill Curdy and her student Lauren Schlesinger along with Concordia University’s Peter Kahn and his student Asia Calcagno.
Poetry in Motion: The Poet Is In
April 23, 2015
11 a.m.–6 p.m.
Fulton Street Station
Fulton Street (b/t Broadway & Nassau Streets)
New York, NY
Free & open to the public
Features an array of award-winning poets, including NY State Poet Laureate Marie Howe, PSA Frost Medalist Marilyn Nelson, and Bob Holman, founder of the Bowery Poetry Café, will sit in a booth and write poems upon request.
A variety of musicians from the MUNY (Music Under New York) program will also perform throughout the day.
After Sunset: Poetry Walk
April 25, 2015
6:30-9:00 p.m.
The High Line
West 14th Street
New York, NY
“Celebrate National Poetry Month with a stroll on the High Line at sunset and encounter a series of poetry performances along the park including ten blocks of traditional readings, spoken word, and ASL Poetry. Readings by Sarah Gambito, Saeed Jones, Taylor Mali, David Tomas Martinez, Leigh Stein, and featuring Mark Doty.” Contact: pguzman@poets.org
Los Angeles River Poetry Reading
with Luis Rodriquez, Eloise Klein Healy, William Archila, and Lewis MacAdams
April 25, 2015 at 11:30 a.m.
Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve (*all events begin at The Amphitheatre)
6339 Woodley Avenue
Lake Balboa, CA
Free & open to the public
Readings by renowned Los Angeles poets, plus a variety of activities for adults and children (ages 6 and up), including a walking tour of the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve, art, poetry writing activities, and refreshments sponsored by Red Hen Press, and a pop-up picnic. “Bring your own picnic basket and enjoy a lovely luncheon in the idyllic setting of the Sepulveda Basin Park.”
The Writers Circle celebrates National Poetry Month with “Tea & Poetry”
April 26, 2015
2-4 p.m.
MONDO (lower level)
426 Springfield Ave.
Summit, NJ
Free Admission
Featuring Circle poets, Sondra Gash, Christina Kapp, Donna Baier-Stein and Michelle Cameron, followed by an open-mic. Light refreshments. Advance registration is strongly suggested via TWC’s contact page.
Massachusetts Poetry Festival
May 1-3, 2015
5:00 a.m.-11:59 p.m.
Historic Downtown Salem
Salem, MA
Admission fee: $15.00
Contact: info@masspoetry.org
“During the first weekend of May, Salem becomes the epicenter of contemporary American poetry, offering rare opportunities to hear the nation’s best poets read and discuss their work in intimate and engaging forums.”
Poetry Readings and Conversations through NYU Creative Writing Program
“The lively public Reading Series hosts a wide array of writers, translators, editors and poets, and connects our program to the local community. Nearly all events are free and open to the public and include book sales and signings.”
Mark Doty and Richard Siken — April 23, 2015 at 7:00 p.m.
Brett Fletcher Lauer, Anthony McCann, Randall Potts, and Matthew Rohrer — April 24, 2015 at 5:00 p.m.
The New Salon: Readings and Conversations: Dorothea Lasky, with Deborah Landau — April 30, 2015 at 7:00 p.m.
All events at:
Lillian Vernon Creative Writers House
58 West 10th Street
New York, NY
And be sure to check out the new Pinterest board released by The Library of Congress to celebrate National Poetry Month!
Click here or here to learn about more events in your area.