Poetry
GSO was conceived in April 2003 by the Greensboro Public
Library with many community partners who shared a common
desire to promote and celebrate poetry. Poetry plays a part in
all of our lives. In addition to those who enjoy reading
poetry, nearly
everyone experiences poetry in some way: through music, in
worship, and in ceremony. Language and customs are often
learned by the very young through poetry in the form of
nursery rhymes. Poetry can be a very personal experience
or it can be shared with a group.
Greensboro
has been home to many renowned poets, not the least of which
was Randall Jarrell who lived in Greensboro from 1947 to 1965
where he taught at The Woman's College of the University of
North Carolina (now UNCG). Jarrell was the Poetry Consultant
to the Library of Congress (a title which was later changed to
United States Poet Laureate) from 1956-1958. His widow, Mary
Jarrell, lives in Greensboro. He was the original inspiration
for this project and it is his face that appears in the Poetry
GSO logo.
The
centerpiece of Poetry GSO has been to
bring a famous poet to Greensboro. In 2004, former U.S.
Poet Laureate Billy Collins was featured. In 2005, Rita
Dove, another former U.S. Poet Laureate was featured. In
2006, Greensboro hosted 5 famous poets: Luiz
Rodriguez, Linda Hogan, Coleman Barks, Glennis Redmon and
Ekiwah Adler-Belendez. Learn more about
these poets in the poetry
gso 2006 magazine. In 2007, Poetry GSO focused on
the healing power of poetry, featuring a variety of
workshops and unique programming around this theme.
In
2006, Poetry GSO introduced audio recording of many of the
poetry events around town.
Here them here!
In
addition to exposing Greensboro to famous poets, Poetry GSO
features Poetry in Public Places, High School Poet
Laureates, Poetry Sampler and more. All of these programs
have been created to make poetry more accessible to the
general public.
View
calendars from Poetry GSO past: 2004
| 2005
| 2006 |
2007
Poetry
in Public Places
Poetry
GSO promotes the appreciation of poetry by making poems
available in places where you might just "bump into
them." You may find poetry on a placemat at your
favorite restaurant, displayed on the bus, in a basket near
the register at a retail establishment, in the waiting room at
your doctor's office, on a community bulletin board, or even
in a public restroom. The idea is to allow people to
experience poetry passively and unexpectedly. These
poems are sometimes fixed to the location, or free for the
taking. Look for the baskets that read: FREE POEMS.
High
School Poet Laureate Project
Poetry
GSO inspires young poets through the High School Poet Laureate
Program. Through a partnership with Guilford County
School Media Specialists, poetry contests are held at each
high school. Three semi-finalists are selected from each
school. Their works are judged and one finalist is
awarded the title of Poet Laureate. The winning poems
are published in a chapbook. View
a list of past High School Poet Laureates. This
project is funded by The United Arts Council. Read
the works of the 2006 High School Poet Laureates
representing schools all over Guilford County.
Greensboro's
Favorite Poems
Poetry
GSO gets people talking about poetry by asking the question,
"What is your favorite poem?" In its inaugural
year, over 300 submissions of favorite poems were gathered.
Two videos were created, modeled after former U.S. Poet
Laureate Robert Pinsky's favorite poem project. These
videos were aired on local public access television. In
2005, the Top Ten Favorite submissions were selected for a
special poetry reading.
Poetry
Sampler
In
2005, Greensboro's first Poetry Sampler was held at the
Greensboro Historical Museum. For the first time ever, many of
Greensboro's preeminent poets read on the same stage in a
unique occasion created to offer a brief sampling of each
writer's work. During this fast-paced event each poet shared
about ten minutes of verse. View
the details of this historic event.
