"Poetry surprises and deepens our sense of the ordinary. Poetry tells us that the world is full of wonder, revelation, consolation, and meaning."
Tracy K. Smith
U.S. Poet Laureate (2017-2019 )
National Poetry Month is the largest literary celebration in the world, with tens of millions of readers, students, K-12 teachers, librarians, booksellers, literary events curators, publishers, bloggers, and, of course, poets marking poetry’s important place in our culture and our lives every April. – from poets.org
2023 Activities at the Goffstown Public Library
Stopping By Woods – Judy KrassowskiThe Road Not Taken: Artistic Interpretations of the Poetry of Robert Frost – display on the second floor through April.
Experience the magic of Robert Frost’s poetry brought to life through art. Throughout April, the Library will be hosting a traveling art exhibit of works inspired by the poetry of Robert Frost. This display of over 30 pieces includes drawings, paintings, and prints by local artists Corinne Dodge, Ingeborg V. Seaboyer, and Judy Krassowski. Visit the exhibit on the second floor of the Library and step into the world of one of the greatest American poets.
Kids’ Blackout Poetry
Saturdays in April at 10:30 AM – 1:30 PM Kids in grades 1-5 can drop in the Children’s Room to create “blackout poetry” from book pages.
Present Moment, Prolific Moment: Using Mindfulness to Write Poetry
Tuesday, April 4 at 6:30 PM NH State Poet Laureate Alexandria Peary presents this poetry writing workshop for all skill levels, focusing on tapping into our creativity and letting go of self-consciousness.
Writing can become much more fulfilling if we think of it as happening right Now. Much is lost when we overlook the present moment because we forfeit rewarding writing experiences in exchange for stress, frustration, boredom, fear, and short-change invention and creativity (it’s a poor bargain). Through mindfulness, we can reduce our writing apprehension and the writing blocks that come from future- or past-oriented thinking. Every moment can become a prolific moment: we can write more quickly and with greater ease of mind.
In this presentation, we discuss writing tools that emerge when present time is highlighted: impermanence, audience demons, monkey mind self-talk, and preconceptions about writing ability and writing tasks. Participants will learn basic strategies to incorporate mindfulness into their writing lives.
Tuesday, April 11 at 6:30 PM Unleash your creativity with blackout poetry! Join us for a fun and inspiring program where we’ll turn ordinary book pages into unique works of art. By simply using markers to highlight the words that speak to us, we’ll transform text into poetry and create beautiful visual compositions. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or a curious beginner, blackout poetry is a great way to express yourself and explore new ideas.
Looking for more? Search the catalog, or give us a call at 603-497-2102 if you’d like staff suggestions. You can also visit the hoopla app for additional e-books and e-audiobooks titles.
Present Moment, Prolific Moment: Using Mindfulness to Write Poetry
