By Patricia Thrushart, Cofounder, Poets Against Racism & Hate USA
Poetry is having a moment. The genre often perceived as obtuse and elitist has been rescued from its ivory-towered prison and reintroduced to the world by a generation of poets as comfortable with slams as sonnets. Spoken word, blackout, performance, insta—these are the styles that have elbowed for room alongside the time-honored villanelle and sestina. Its world is far more diverse, too. Our last poet laureate, Joy Harjo, was Native American; today the genre is represented in the United States by the first Mexican American to hold the position, Ada Limón.
Duotrope, the online submission database, says there are 5,000 literary arts journals in the US alone that solicit poetry for their pages. According to a survey by the US government (www.arts.gov), 12% of adults—or 28 million people—read poetry in 2017. The numbers have only increased since then. And, of course, the growth of indie presses and the ability to self-publish have empowered poets to bypass the traditional publishing path and get their work out in the world with the press of a button (or two).
Poetry is back in the mainstream. Amanda Gorman reached 100 million viewers on the CBS telecast before the 2021 Super Bowl when she read “Chorus of the Captains,” not to mention the role she played during the 2021 inauguration of President Joe Biden. Rupi Kaur’s three books of “instapoetry” have sold millions of copies. Each.
And then, of course, there is National Poetry Month, held every April. I’m unaware of any other literary genre that enjoys its own bespoke month. For that we can thank the Academy of American Poets, which established the event in 1996. Their website says National Poetry Month is the largest literary celebration in the world, impacting tens of millions of readers of all ages, hailing from many different professions.
At Poets Against Racism & Hate USA, we view National Poetry Month as a time not only to bring awareness to poetry in general but also to draw attention to social justice poetry specifically. For this reason, we made it a priority to schedule an in-person reading during the month of April. We partnered with the historic Butler Area Public Library, which opened its doors in Butler, Pennsylvania, in 1894 with support from a local women’s literary club. In 1917, the library was the recipient of a grant from Andrew Carnegie as he invested in the library system in northwestern Pennsylvania. Mindful of the library’s history and the strong local literary scene, PARH reached out to writer and academician Michael Dittman, who invited other Butler-based poets to join our members at the podium. Featured poets included Michael Dittman, E.L. (Erin) Dan, Jeffrey Schrader, Brady Buchanan, Tabassam Shah, and Elijah Elliott. An open mic followed our featured poets’ readings.
With the help of Dianne McCauley, the library’s adult services manager, PARH and the Butler Area Public Library focused on advertising the free and accessible event as an important National Poetry Month effort. The Butler Eagle published an article in anticipation of the reading and sent a photographer to cover it. Consequently, our poets were thrilled with the audience of 45 attentive listeners, including a group of young adults who clearly were energized by what they heard. They mobbed some of the readers after the event!
The written feedback was equally inspiring. “Fantastic, poignant and powerful,” wrote one attendee. “It’s amazing to be in a space where I feel safe,” wrote another. Some simply took the time to say “thank you.”
Those of us behind the scenes at PARH are grateful, too—grateful to the library for its support, to Michael Dittman for his partnership, to the poets—some of whom traveled 50 miles—who read during the program and at the open mic (including member Phil Terman). And to the audience members, who participated in at least one National Poetry Month opportunity by opening their hearts and minds to messages of social justice delivered through poetry. The success of our Butler reading gives us fuel for our ongoing efforts. We’ll cap off National Poetry Month with a reading on April 30 at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, and in May we’ll team with our UK partner to hold our annual virtual poetry event In This Together, which marks the anniversary of George Floyd’s murder. More information about these readings can be found on our Events page.
So happy National Poetry Month! If you are a poet, we hope you’re writing! If you’re writing social justice poetry, remember that PARH USA members can submit work to us for possible inclusion on our Featured Poem page. If you are a supporter, we need you out there, in the chairs or online, joining us in our mission to confront racism, bigotry, and hate through the power of poetry.
See you at our next event.