Lanier Library Poetry Festival, now in its second year, features workshops, readings and book signings. It takes place in Tryon at the library and nearby venues on Friday and Saturday, April 24 and 25.
Press release from the Lanier Library:
Registration is now open for this year’s 2nd Annual Lanier Library Poetry Festival on Friday, April 24, and Saturday, April 25, at the library and nearby venues. The festival will feature workshops on various aspects of writing, revising and publishing poetry; readings and book signings by distinguished poets; a luncheon with 2013 Inaugural Poet Richard Blanco; and a family program, and will conclude with an awards ceremony for winners of this year’s Sidney Lanier Poetry Competition.
Former N. C. Poet Laureate Cathy Smith Bowers will kick off the workshops on Friday with her “Advanced Poetry Writing Workshop.” Writers participating in this class must have been selected in advance after submitting three poems by April 1.
“Viva La Verse: A Magical Celebration of Verse,” will be held at 7 p.m on Friday at the Tryon Fine Arts Center Amphitheater. Led by Wendi Loomis, an actor, musician and past performer with Poetry Alive!, this free, family-friendly event mixes poetry with music and encourages audience participation from adults and children alike.
Loomis will lead two free workshops on Saturday for children and teens. “Pop-up Poetry” is a class for children in grades 2 through 5. For older students in grades 6 through 12, Loomis will offer “Writing the Blues: Introduction to Song Composition.”
Blanco will be the keynote speaker at a luncheon Saturday at noon at the Lavender Bistro in downtown Tryon. Space is limited and pre-registration is required.
Workshops led by poets Kathy Ackerman, Rick Mulkey, Morri Creech, Harry Goodheart and Tina Barr will be held throughout the day on Saturday. All are for emerging and experienced writers, with topics ranging from “Essence of Haiku: Joy of Creation Inside the Moment” to “Chapbooks in the Poetry Landscape.”
Morning and afternoon readings of their poetry by workshop presenters and by Keith Flynn, judge of this year’s Sidney Lanier Poetry Competition, will be held on Saturday.
The festival’s closing event will be an awards ceremony Saturday at 5:15 p.m. for adult and high school winners of the 2015 poetry competition. Readings of the selected poems and an informal talk by Flynn will be followed by a reception in celebration of the winning poets and Lanier Library’s 125th anniversary. This event is free and open to the public, and will be held at the library.
For a complete schedule of events, locations and registration information for the luncheon and workshops, visit www.lanierlibrarypoetryfestival.org.
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