Poet Laureate W.S. Merwin

Appointed by the Library of Congress in July 2010, W.S. Merwin is the 17th U.S. Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry.

• "News from the Library of Congress" (July 1, 2010): http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2010/10-157.html

• NYTimes Article (June 30, 2010): http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/01/books/01poet.html

• PBS NEWSHOUR: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/art/blog/2010/07/ws-merin-appointed-as-next-poet-laureate.html
  

• Bio and Poems of W.S. Merwin: http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/123

• Another Bio with More Poems: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poet.html?id=4676&utm_medium=email&utm_source=CampaignMonitor&utm_content=142043064&utm_campaign=PoetryMediaService&utm_term=WSMerwin
• "To the Light of September": http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=31161
  

• Online Poems and More: http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/m_r/merwin/merwin.htm

• The Atlantic Online Article (1997): http://www.theatlantic.com/past/docs/unbound/poetry/antholog/merwin/pdmerwin.htm

• FOOLING WITH WORDS with Bill Moyers ("Fooling with words is the play of poets."): http://www.pbs.org/wnet/foolingwithwords/main_poet.html
  

NCTE National African American Read-In

The Twenty-First National African American Read-In
Sponsored by the Black Caucus of NCTE and NCTE

In February 2010, hold an African American Read-In event
any day of the month, from Monday, February 1
to Sunday, February 28, 2010

• "Schools, churches, libraries, bookstores, community and professional organizations, and interested citizens are urged to make literacy a significant part of Black History Month by hosting and coordinating Read-Ins in their communities."
• Centennial teachers are encouraged to plan a "Read-In" and feature relevant selections/works by African American authors in their classrooms.
• NCTE National AA Read-In (2010)

APRIL is National Poetry Month

Do I dare
Disturb the universe?
In a minute there is time
For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse.

Sources and Sample Activities:
1.) http://www.poets.org/page.php/prmID/41
This website from the Academy of American Poets includes information on the history of National Poetry Month.

2.) The 2009 poster features the lines "Do I dare/Disturb the universe?" from T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" at http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/20220 and in TextFlows format at http://www.textflows.com/player/playFlow/20220.

3.) http://www.readwritethink.org/calendar/calendar_day.asp?id=478
In honor of National Poetry Month, students are introduced to a variety of poetic forms. One (or more) student each day is assigned as "poet of the day" for the month of April. Students are provided with several models for creating different forms of poetry, such as Shape Poems, Acrostic Poems, Diamante Poems, or Instant Poetry Forms. Each student might select one form of poetry and write an original poem, which he or she may also illustrate. On their assigned days, students will read their poetry out loud to the class.

4.) http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=246
Is a Sentence a Poem?
Students are given (or directed online to) a picture and asked individually to describe the picture in one sentence of less than twenty words. Afterward, the class analyzes syntax, imagery, and meaning in a chosen one-sentence poem by a canonical author to decide what makes it a poem. Students return to their own descriptive sentence to decide whether it is, is not, or could be a poem, justifying their reasoning. This exercise encourages students to dissect an established poem while defining the characteristics of the genre of poetry. Students then apply their knowledge during reflection upon their own work.

*Excerpts accessed on March 31, 2009.

2009 National African American Read-In

Celebrate the Twentieth Year for the National African American Read-In:

• Sponsored by the Black Caucus of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and NCTE
• For this year only, the National Director has extended the African American Read-In for the entire month of February.
• Schools, churches, libraries, bookstores, community and professional organizations, and interested citizens are urged to make literacy a significant part of Black History Month by hosting and coordinating Read-Ins in their communities. Hosting a Read-In can be as simple as bringing together friends to share a book, or as elaborate as arranging public readings and media presentations that feature professional African American writers.
• Accessed on January 28 from http://www.ncte.org/action/aari/packetinfo

Inauguration Poem

Poet Elizabeth Alexander was selected to compose and deliver a poem at President Barack Obama’s Inauguration Ceremony at the United States Capitol on January, 20, 2009. She is the fourth poet in history to be so honored. She delivered her poem after President Obama’s Inaugural Address. Accessed on 1.12.09 from http://www.elizabethalexander.net/events.html

Read "Praise Song for the Day" Inaugural Poem by Elizabeth Alexander from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/20/us/politics/20text-poem.html

Other sites of interest:

• http://www.elizabethalexander.net/home.html
• http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/245
• http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/17/AR2008121702027.html?hpid=topnews
• http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/books/01/12/alexander.poet.inaugural/index.html
• http://www.pic2009.org/pages/schedule