April 11, 2023

Arab American Heritage Month

Celebrate Arab American Heritage Month by reading work by Abū al-‘Alā’ al-Ma‘arrī, born in December 973 AD (363 AH), in the village of Ma‘arrat al-Nu‘mān. It is said that al-Ma‘arrī began writing verse before the age of ten. Al-Ma‘arri died in Ma‘arrat al-Nu‘mān in 1057 AD (449 AH) after a short-term illness. Read poems from The Luzumiyat of Abu’l-Ala (James T. White & Co., 1920), translated by Ameen Rihani, on Poets.org.

“XXIX”
“XXX”
“XXXII”
“XXXVI”
“XLV”
“XLII”
“XLVIII”
“XCIX”
“C”
“CI”

“In a way, the process of grief, I have found, can mirror that of writing: it is surprising, trying, frustrating, daunting, terrifying, comforting, chastening, challenging, and at times, heartening; grief can provide fellowship with others interested in the experience; it brings out the best in us, and at times the worst, if only because it is utterly human.”

In honor of the Poetry Coalition’s programming and seventh annual theme, “and so much lost you’d think / beauty had left a lesson: Poetry & Grief,” read Kevin Young’s full introduction to The Art of Losing: Poems of Grief and Healing (Bloomsbury Publishing Inc., 2013).

more at poets.org

Seamus Heaney was born on April 13, 1939, in Castledawson, County Derry, Northern Ireland. Heaney produced numerous collections of poetry during his career, including Human Chain (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2010) and Opened Ground (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1999), which was named a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. In June of 2012, Heaney was awarded the Lifetime Recognition Award from the Griffin Trust For Excellence in Poetry. In honor of Heaney’s birthday on Thursday, read a couple of his translations of Russian poet, playwright, and novelist, Alexander Pushkin, from The Translations of Seamus Heaney (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2022).

“The Civil Power”
“Arion”

more at poets.org

April marks the twenty-seventh annual #NationalPoetryMonth, an occasion established by the Academy of American Poets in 1996 to celebrate the integral role that poets and poetry have in our culture. Visit Poets.org/npm for free activities, programs, and resources to celebrate with us throughout April and beyond!

more at poets.org

What It Must Have Felt Like

Palm-sized and fledgling, a beak
protruding from the sleeve, I
have kept my birds muted
for so long, I fear they’ve grown
accustom to a grim quietude.
What chaos could ensue
should a wing get loose?
Come overdue burst, come
flock, swarm, talon, and claw.
Scatter the coop’s roost, free
the cygnet and its shadow. Crack
and scratch at the state’s cage,
cut through cloud and branch,
no matter the dumb hourglass’s
white sand yawning grain by grain.
What cannot be contained
cannot be contained.

Read more poems by U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón, author of several books, including The Hurting Kind (Milkweed Editions, 2022) and Bright Dead Things (Milkweed Editions, 2015), finalist for the National Book Award. Read and listen to a Q&A with Limón about her Poem-a-Day curatorial approach and more on Poets.org.

more at poets.org

Poetry & the Creative Mind, our signature National Poetry Month celebration and benefit reading, will return to the virtual stage as a free, livestreamed event on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, at 7:30 p.m. EDT.

With readings of favorite poems by luminaries from across the arts and culture, the broadcast celebrates the important role poetry plays in the lives of readers. Join Ethan Hawke, U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón, Shantell Martin, Liam Neeson, Molly Shannon, Nobel Peace Prize-winner Malala Yousafzai, and more, for this singular virtual event hosted by Masters of Ceremony Richard Blanco and Kimiko Hahn.

learn more & register free

Registration is free for all attendees. Your gift during registration supports the Academy of American Poets’ programs and publications, including free resources for educators during National Poetry Month and throughout the year.

Watch M. L. Smoker read James Welch’s poem “Harlem, Montana: Just Off the Reservation.” This is the eleventh film in Above Strands of Earth: Adrian Brinkerhoff Poetry Foundation at Tippet Rise, a film series produced in collaboration with Tippet Rise Art Center and the Academy of American Poets. Directed by Matthew Thompson and shot at Tippet Rise Art Center. Learn more at https://www.brinkerhoffpoetry.org.

#PoetryNearYou Pick of the Week

Poetic Encounters: the launch of 2023 Guggenheim Poet-in-Residence Ama Codjoe’s Poetic Encounters, a zine full of prompts for engagement, curiosity, and wonder for all museum visitors to enjoy during special extended hours as they explore the museum’s galleries, including the newly opened Gego and Sarah Sze exhibitions. Tuesday, April 11, at 6 p.m. EDT at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (1071 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10128). Free and open to the public.

As part of the launch, there will be a simultaneous open mic and drop-in reading in the museum café with Jossalyn Collado, Aracelis Girmay, and Haydil Henriquez on a first-come, first-served basis due to limited space. Learn more.

more at poets.org

The request line for the official National Poetry Month poster, distributed to more than 85,000 schools, libraries, organizations, and individuals nationwide, closes on Tuesday, April 18. Order your free copy of the official poster.

The 2023 poster was designed by Marc Brown, creator of the popular Arthur series. The artwork incorporates an excerpted line from the poem “The Carrying” by U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón.

more at poets.org

Shakespeare & Co. in New York City is seeking a full-time bookstore cafe / barista manager. Email a resume to steve@shakeandco.com.
Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, is seeking a full-time visiting assistant professor of first-year writing.

Revisit last week’s Poem-a-Day selections with us on Poets.org:

April 2: “Youth and Age” by Kahlil Gibran
April 3: “Grass, 1967” by Victoria Chang
April 4: “I Dare You” by Dorianne Laux
April 5: “Virginia, Autumn” by Molly McCully Brown
April 6: “Dream Nest” by Dana Levin
April 7: “Western Edge” by Carl Phillips
April 8: “My Lebanon” by Edna K. Saloomey