A new exhibition on J.R.R. Tolkien has opened at the Bodleian Library in Oxford, and the catalog book is a treasure in and of itself.
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Writing Prompt: Beach Metaphors
How is an exploration on the beach like an experience in a new school, a new town, or a new phase of life? Come write with a beach metaphor!
Poetry and Remembering the Civil War – Part 1: Allen Tate
The Civil War has long been used as a lens for interpreting, understanding, and advocating contemporary issues. So has the poetry about the Civil War.
“The Old Curiosity Shop:” Charles Dickens and a Road Trip!
“The Old Curiosity Shop” by Charles Dickens, with some of the author’s most memorable characters, isn’t about a shop at all — it’s about a road trip.
Poets and Poems: Darren Demaree and “Two Towns Over”
The 56 poems of “Two Towns Over” by poet Darren Demaree powerfully document the devastation of the opioid addiction crisis.
The T.S. Eliot Prize: “Night Sky with Exit Wounds” by Ocean Vuong
“Night Sky with Exit Wounds” by Ocean Vuong has won the 2017 T.S. Eliot Prize. It is a stunning, haunting, and disquieting collection.
Born to Be Good: The Right Kind of Smile
The smile is like social chocolate. Join us for this week’s book club discussion of Dacher Keltner’s Born to Be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life.
Rediscovering “Great Expectations” by Charles Dickens
“Great Expectations” by Charles Dickens is one of his best and most beloved novels, one he initially described as “fine, new, and grotesque.”
Reading in the Wild: October’s Pages
Come learn the secrets of being a wild reader. Or just share your October pages. Megan Willome leads the way, with her October good reads.
The Lenore Marshall Prize: “Brooklyn Antediluvian” by Patrick Rosal
The Academy of American Poets has awarded the Lenore Marshall Prize to “Brooklyn Antediluvian,” an arresting and innovative collection by Patrick Rosal.
The Poetry of the Visiting Card: Miss Jennie Todt meets Catherina Gerhard
A visiting card in an 1899 edition of “Longfellow’s Complete Poems” leads to stories of German immigrants, St. Louis history, and even beer.
“Housman Country: Into the Heart of England”
Peter Parker, in “Housman Country: Into the Heart of England,” explains why “A Shropshire Lad” became one of the most popular poetry books of the 20th century.
Childhood, Poetry, and History: “The Courtship of Miles Standish”
Reading “The Courtship of Miles Standish” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow brings memories of childhood, poetry, and history.
The Poem as Modern Myth: “Evangeline” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
“Evangeline” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow resurrected an almost forgotten event in Canadian and American history and helped shaped a regional people.
Our Best-Known Patriotic Poem: Longfellow Visits a Church
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow climbed the stairs of the Old North Church tower in Boston in April, 1860; the result was America’s best-known patriotic poem.
“The Whole Harmonium: The Life of Wallace Stevens” by Paul Mariani
In “The Whole Harmonium,” biographer and poet Paul Mariani tells the story of Wallace Stevens, poet, philosopher, insurance executive, and family man.
Last Child in the Woods: Place-Based Education
Can taking the classroom outside help students learn? Richard Louv says yes in our final discussion of Last Child in the Woods.
The Pulitzer Prize for Poetry: “Olio” by Tyehimba Jess
The Pulitzer Prize-winning poetry collection “Olio” by Tyehimba Jess bends poetry our of its familiar groove to tell a story few Americans know.
The Walt Whitman Award: “Afterland” by Mai Der Vang
In “Afterland,” winner of the Walt Whitman Award, poet Mai Der Vang explores what happened to the Hmong people after the Vietnam War.
Wall Poems: Poetry Prompt
Settled in the crevices of brick and mortar, there are poems. Written on walls in Europe and here in the States, poetry lives and breathes in cities and villages. Join us and learn a little about wall poems and where you can find some. You can even write your own wall poem.