Wednesday, April 1, 2015

National Poetry Month: Literary Spotify

Welcome to National Poetry Month 2015, celebrated every April by poetry lovers and the Academy of American Poets since 1996.  How will you be celebrating?  Poets.org recommends 30 ways to celebrate, including: #9, Learn more about poets and poetry events in your state (Poetry & Hip Hop with Keshet Dance Company, anyone?); # 15, Chalk a poem on the sidewalk; and # 27, Watch a poetry movie (not on their list but in the library catalog: Black Butterflies).

You can also celebrate Poem In Your Pocket Day, which is Thursday, April 30th. "Every April, on Poem in Your Pocket Day, people throughout the United States celebrate by selecting a poem, carrying it with them, and sharing it with others throughout the day as schools, bookstores, libraries, parks, workplaces, and other venues ring loud with open readings of poems from pockets." Don't have a poem for your pocket?  Poets.org features many downloadable poems, or you could sign up for their Poem-A-Day.

One of the ways you might not have thought to celebrate poetry is to listen to poetry being read on Spotify! Spotify, as part of their Browse feature, has listed under Genres and Moods a section called Word. Word compiles playlists like "Short Stories", "Guided Meditation", "Learn Spanish", "Mythologies", "Self Help Gems", "Vintage Radio Dramas", and "Once Upon a Time". Also included are playlists like "Love Poems", "A Hipster's Guide to Poetry", "Modern Poetry", and "Langston Hughes In His Own Words". These make a great jumping off point to explore poetry - including poems read by the poets themselves, going all the way back to Walt Whitman - which is often most enjoyable when read aloud.  Alternately, you can also search Spotify using the keywords "poetry" or "poems" to find more.

If you have Spotify, check out our "Literary Spotify" list and celebrate National Poetry Month with poetry readings by poets (including local poets like Jimmy Santiago Baca) and more! You can also find audiobooks of poetry in the library catalog.



Links

Poets.org: National Poetry Month

Sweet Literary Tracks on Spotify [Book Riot]

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