In 1997, our two year old writers’ group was asked by the local library to host a community poetry reading during National Poetry Month (April) in participation with Robert Pinsky’s Favorite Poem Project.  We were delighted, and students and faculty members from Harding University participated, as well as our members and the general public.

The readers brought poems from Carl Sandburg and Robert Frost, Maya Angelou, and many I was not familiar with.  Of course, I read Lewis Carroll. I filled out my card to enter myself in the project (but was not selected) with great enthusiasm, thinking “Poetry Month!  I didn’t know we had a Poetry Month!  What a great thing this is!”

What I also didn’t know was that National Poetry Month was as new to the writing world as I was…even newer!

Inspired by the successes of Black History Month and Women’s History Month, the Academy of American Poets convened a group of professionals and established National Poetry Month.  The first one was held in 1996.  The reading we had in 1997 celebrated the first anniversary.

Hmmm.  Something seems wrong about that.  Poetry has been a part of civilization for as long as, well, civilization.  It took someone until 1996 to officially recognize it?  Well, that’s simplifying it, but we’ve had ‘kiss your dog day’, and ‘national pickle week’ and other such recognitions for a lot longer than that.

Just sayin’…

So…here’s a bit more trivia on National Poetry Month;

•  On April 1, 1996 President Bill Clinton issued the proclamation declaring April as National Poetry Month.
•  In 1998, the Academy joined American Poetry & Literacy Project to distribute 100,000 free books of poetry during NPM.
•  In 2001, the Academy invited people to ‘vote’ for poets they most wanted to have on a postage stamp.  More than 10,000 people cast ballots (that seems like an awfully light turnout to me) and in January 2002 the USPS issued a Langston Hughes stamp.
• In 2002, the Academy organized the first Poetry & the Creative Mind gala to raise funds in support of NPM.  Hosted by Meryl Streep, the event features celebrities reading their favorite poems.
• In 2005 the Empire State Building was illuminated with blue lights to mark the 10^th anniversary of NPM.
• Each year, a special poster is commissioned for NPM, and almost 200,000 copies are distributed for free. (I have 1997- current.  I don’t know if there was one issued in 1996).
• There’s always a spoiler.  Critics of NPM suggest that it trivializes the art form and floods the market with books, overwhelming readers.  (Can I hear a ‘Boo‘ from the audience?)

The best part of all this is that participation is absolutely free.  If your group, class, friends, family or even enemies  want to get together and read poems in celebration of NPM, they don’t have to have permission or register.  The NPM logo is publicly used.  And, if you contact the academy about your event, they will add it to their list so others will know about it.  It’s all devoted to a single purpose…promoting poetry.

So, if you haven’t already, write a poem in celebration of National Poetry Month.  Check out The Writers’ Almanac (link in my sidebar) for a daily dose of poetry.   Read a poem to your child or grandchild, or a favorite niece or nephew. And…check out my facebook posts this month for short poems.

Posters…..http://www.poets.org/page.php/prmID/98