 | | Boston Mayor Kim Janey |
MAYOR JANEY ANNOUNCES CELEBRATION OF NATIONAL POETRY MONTH All events will be conducted in accordance with COVID-19 public health guidance |
BOSTON - Thursday,
April 1, 2021 - Mayor Kim Janey today announced the City of Boston’s
celebrations to commemorate National Poetry Month throughout the month of April. During the
30-day celebration of the many forms of poetry, Boston will also be
highlighting the importance of the arts sector in fostering the city’s
economic, civic, and cultural recovery.
“Art allows us to
express ourselves creatively, see new perspectives, and unite
communities,” said Mayor Janey. “As we continue to recover from the
COVID-19 pandemic, the arts are an important part of healing. I look
forward to celebrating this entire month with all Bostonians.”
The City of Boston
is leading several events and initiatives as part of National Poetry
Month, including the annual Mayor’s Poetry Program reading happening virtually on April 21. For this
event, several Boston-based poets will join Boston Poet Laureate Porsha
Olayiwola in reading original poems that were selected to be displayed in
Boston City Hall this year. Porsha Olayiwola is also leading the HOME Poetry Series during the first weekend of each month,
which consists of a free virtual workshop and open mic. This series will
culminate with the inaugural Roxbury Poetry Festival on June 5, 2021. All
in-person events for the festival will be conducted in accordance with
COVID-19 public health guidance. Boston Youth Poet Laureate Alondra
Bobadilla will also be hosting a virtual poetry workshop for teens in partnership with the Boston Public
Library on April 3.
“Audre Lorde states
Poetry is not a luxury. I agree. Poetry is a necessity,” said Porsha
Olayiwola, Poet Laureate for the City of Boston. “It is essential in
fostering conversations, in articulating the world we wish to see, in
elevating voices that have gone unheard. I am looking forward to sharing
my own work with the people of Boston and to seeing the creativity and
vast ideas community members bring to the forefront.”
The Mayor’s Office
of Arts and Culture will also be highlighting a local poet every day on
social media. Porsha Olayiwola has also curated a list of 30 writing
prompts that individuals can use to inspire their own poems throughout
the month.
“Poetry and narrative
play an important role in our city’s history and help us express and
process the current moment,” said Kara Elliott-Ortega, Chief of Arts and
Culture. “We encourage everyone to connect with Boston’s strong poetry
community this month and to explore your own creativity by trying some
writing of your own.”
More information
about the events and programs happening during National Poetry Month can
be found at boston.gov/poetry. |
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