Celebrate Amesbury Poetry Month with local poetry events!
Brought to you by the Amesbury Poet Laureate Committee, the Amesbury Public Library, the Amesbury Cultural Council, and more. A local celebration of National Poetry Month.
Exeter Litfest
Come enjoy a full day of free events celebrating literature and poetry at the Exeter Town Hall! Events include talks, panels, and a gallery with student poetry.
For a detailed schedule, see the link below:
Conversations with our Poet Laureates - City of Brockton
Enjoy readings from 18 Massachusetts poet laureates, including Amesbury’s current poet laureate Lisa Usani Phillips and former poet laureate Ellie O’Leary!
Event hosted by Regie Gibson at the Brockton Public Library. See link below for more detail:
https://brockton.ma.us/event/conversations-with-our-poet-laureates/
Poem in Your Pocket
The Library will have an activity table out for anyone to take a poem, for kids to decorate a pocket, and a read aloud book about poem in your pocket day, along with other ideas to do on social media or at home to celebrate!
Entries due: Gathering of Verses High School Poetry Contest
High school students: submit your poems for the 10th Annual Gathering of Verses High School Poetry Contest!
To enter, send your poem and entry form to Christina Bryant at chrisbryant1@comcast.net by April 21st. Please be sure to read all criteria and guidelines on the entry form:
Event sponsored by the Whittier Home Association & the Amesbury Cultural Council.
First Annual Amesbury Poetry Fest
Come to a poetry reading hosted by Amesbury’s Poet Laureate Lisa Usani Phillips in honor of poetry month! Enjoy beverages from Barewolf Brewing and readings from a variety of local poets, including:
Alfred Nicol
Ellie O'Leary
Elizabeth Wolf
Bryan Riley
Matt Cockreham
Zara Raab
Muriel Angelil
Richard Wollman
Becca Kowalski
Lisa Usani Phillips (host)
Rockport International Poetry Festival
Rockport’s Poet Laureate Bob Whelan is hosting and international poetry reading at the historic Whittier Home, featuring Alexandra Nicod Rickenbacher, Hussein Habasch, and George Wallace!
Poem in a bag
Stop by the library to grab a bag with some random words or items in it to use to create a poem! Bags will be for elementary to high school ages.
Amesbury Monthly Poetry Reading ft. Chandler Camerato
Join Amesbury Poet Laureate Lisa Usani Phillips & the John G. Whittier Home in welcoming Chandler Hyde Camerato, spoken word poet, artist, and author.
This will be the first in-person poetry reading of the season! Chandler's reading will be followed by an open mic.
The event will also be available via Zoom.
REGISTER HERE
Ekphrastic Challenge Poetry Reading
Poets who have submitted their poems by the deadline will be invited to read their poems at the A + AA gallery on Sunday, April 21, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Poets are responsible for bringing a reading copy of their poems to the event. A + AA will not print poems out at the reading.
If time permits on April 21, poets who did not submit their ekphrastic poems to A + AA by the deadline may read their poems at an open mike following the reading.
Visit https://www.alchemyart44.com/atelier-events for more information.
Deadline: Ekphrastic Poetry Challenge
Poets who want Alchemy + Art Atelier to display their poems at the gallery must email their poems to alchemyart44@gmail.com by midnight on April 14th.
A + AA will choose which poems to print out and display in their gallery. Poetry submission emails should include "Ekphrastic Poetry Challenge" in the subject line.
Visit https://www.alchemyart44.com/atelier-events for more information.
Rockport Poetry Festival Kickoff
Festival kick-off event featuring local poet laureates, including Amesbury Poet Laureate Lisa Usani Phillips.
Hosted by Bob Whelan/Rockport Poetry.
More info: https://www.rockportpoetry.com/
Ekphrastic Poetry Challenge Gallery Viewing
Alchemy + Art Atelier will host a gallery viewing of art on Sunday, April 7, from noon to 4:00 p.m.
Poets will be invited to view the art on display at the gallery space and will be given guidelines for submitting their ekphrastic poems to A + AA.
Amesbury’s Poet Laureate will give a brief introduction to ekphrastic poetry at the event and be on hand to answer questions participants might have about the genre.
Visit https://www.alchemyart44.com/atelier-events for more information.
Clothesline of Poetry
Help create the Community Clothesline Poetry in the Amesbury Public Library side yard!
Submit a poem to the Library no larger than 8 ½ by 11 in whatever form of poetry. It can be illustrated, typed, or handwritten. Originals will not be returned as they will be laminated and hung outdoors through the month of April.
Stop by outside in the side yard of the Library to read this community poetry at any time. It will change throughout the month as we get more poetry!
More info: https://amesburylibrary.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/community-clothesline-poetry/
StoryWalk on the RiverWalk
Read while you walk or stroll on the RiverWalk! The Amesbury Public Library will have StoryWalk (tm) hanging along the fence from the Water Street parking lot up to the Oak St. bridge. This wonderfully illustrated book will engage young families and adults alike in the lyrical pages. Through April 30th.
More info: https://amesburylibrary.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/poetry-month-storywalk/
Make & Take Poetry Bag
Stop by the Amesbury Public Library for a Make and Take bag that contains an introduction to different poetry styles and templates for creating your own poems. This plethora of potential poetry will be available for elementary aged and also for middle school and high school, on up so everyone can come and create. Will also contain information for submitting that poem to be part of our Clothesline of Poetry.
More info: https://amesburylibrary.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/make-and-take-poetry-month/