ATHENS, W.Va. – Poets – from aspiring to published – and all lovers of poetry are invited to celebrate National Poetry Month during a poetry reading at Concord University on Monday, April 25, 2022. Hosted by Marsh Library, the event will begin at 7 p.m. in the library’s Presidents Room.
Attendees are invited to read their own work or that of another poet, or simply come to listen and enjoy the evening. The general public is invited to join the Concord campus community in attending at no charge.
Library Associate Jonathan Bolt will emcee the event. Bolt, an award-winning, published poet, will also read some of his work.
“The written word – whether in song, in metered verse, or in free verse poetry – can do so much more than simply report information,” Bolt says. “National Poetry Month gives us a chance to honor the beauty and power of words, their artistic spirit, their fluid nature – words that exist to communicate beauty, depth, richness. Words can be more than a conveyance for facts – they can be beautiful in and of themselves. Poetry lets us fully live our language.”
“Launched by the Academy of American Poets in April 1996, National Poetry Month reminds the public that poets have an integral role to play in our culture and that poetry matters,” states the Academy of American Poets website. “Over the years, it has become the largest literary celebration in the world, with tens of millions of readers, students, K–12 teachers, librarians, booksellers, literary events curators, publishers, families, and – of course – poets, marking poetry’s important place in our lives.”
For additional information about the upcoming poetry reading at Concord University, please contact Jonathan Bolt at jbolt@concord.edu or 304-384-5373.
