April is National Poetry Month
Poet Gwendolyn Brooks, the first Black author to win a Pulitzer Prize, wrote: “If you wanted a poem, you only had to look out of a window. There was material always, walking or running, fighting or screaming or singing.” Her point that poetry is everywhere and that it is accessible is one of the reasons this literary form will always be an integral part of our lives and culture. April marks the 25th anniversary of National Poetry Month, a celebration and commemoration launched by the American Academy of Poets in 1996. Since then, it has become the largest literary celebration in the world, with millions of readers, students, teachers, librarians, booksellers and, of course, poets marking the essential place of poetry in our lives. Click here for thirty ways to celebrate National Poetry Month. And, check out some of the titles below or make your own choices; joy awaits you.