Series of poetry readings are planned on campus during the national literary celebration
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UMass Dartmouth's College of Arts & Sciences has invited the University community and the general public to celebrate National Poetry Month, recognized annually during the month of April. A series of poetry readings are planned on campus during the national literary celebration. National Poetry Month at UMass Dartmouth will also include the 2nd annual Temper Poetry Reading, featuring students reading their original works.
This April marks the 20th anniversary of National Poetry Month, which was inaugurated by the Academy of American Poets in 1996. 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.
National Poetry Month events include:
April 5
Marge Piercy
Praised as one of the country's best-selling poets, Marge Piercy will read poems from Made in Detroit and The Hunger Moon: Selected Poems in celebration of National Poetry Month.
4 p.m., UMass Dartmouth Claire T. Carney Library Stoico/FIRSTFED Charitable Foundation Grand Reading Room
April 11
To Be Heard – Film Documentary
To Be Heard is the story of three teens from the South Bronx whose struggle to change their lives begins when they start to write poetry. The three emerge as accomplished self-aware artists, who use their creativity to alter their circumstances.
6 p.m., UMass Dartmouth’s Main Auditorium
April 13
WORD! Poetry Slam
Join the community in a poetry slam! Performances by students from Professor Morgan James “Mwalim” Peters' ENL/BLS 200 class, as well as an open mic for anyone else who wants to perform.
6 p.m., UMass Dartmouth’s Woodland Commons
April 20
The Reading Stage Series
Two evenings of staged readings of new one-act plays. Each evening will present five new plays, written as final projects for the Advanced Playwriting class offered by the English Department and taught by multi-award-winning playwright and professor, Morgan James “Mwalim” Peters.
6:30 p.m., UMass Dartmouth, Liberal Arts Building, Room 104
April 21
Temper Reading
Join undergraduate and graduate students in the annual Temper reading. Share a poem you’ve written or one written by someone else that you love in this community event for students, faculty, and staff.
5 p.m., Liberal Arts Building Atrium
April 25
Claudia Rankine
Claudia Rankine will be reading from her award winning book Citizen: An American Lyric, which is a unique mixture of poetry, prose, and visual image.
4 p.m., Woodland Commons
The Reading Stage Series
Two evenings of staged readings of new one-act plays. Each evening will present five new plays, written as final projects for the Advanced Playwriting class offered by the English Department and taught by multi-award-winning playwright and professor, Morgan James “Mwalim” Peters.
6:30 p.m., Liberal Arts Building, Room 104