City poet laureate doesn't rest on her laurels
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NORTHAMPTON - With more than 50 books to her name and three poetry collections, one of which, "Still Life with Buddy," earned her a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, it's not surprising that Lesléa Newman is tackling her new role as Northampton's fourth poet laureate with enthusiasm and energy.
Since being awarded the honor in February, Newman has organized several events and projects designed to put more poetry in the public eye.
Newman said she takes her duties as poet laureate seriously.
"For me, it's just a huge honor. As poet laureate, my mission is to bring poetry to the people," she said.
Newman's efforts can already be seen in the new feature on this page, "Hear a Poet, There a Poet," which will present a short poem by an area author twice a month. The series, which will showcase work by poets invited by Newman to participate, kicks off this week with a poem Newman wrote at age 14.
In addition, Newman will read at three upcoming events. Her inaugural reading takes place on April 30 at 7 p.m. in the Calvin Coolidge Room at the Forbes Library. Newman also will read on May 18, at 2 p.m., at the Lathrop Home on South Street and, on June 11 at 7 p.m., at Forbes Library, in conjunction with the annual Northampton Garden Tour. The latter reading is called "Summer is a Comin' In" and will focus on flowers and gardens.
Newman, who lived in Northampton for many years and recently moved to Holyoke, also has put out the call for city organizations and groups interested in sponsoring hour-long poetry readings. Called "Lunch with the Laureate," the events will feature Newman reading her own poems, poems written by others or a combination of the two. Newman also will invite participants to bring and share their own poetry or favorite poems written by others. The readings will take place once a month, at a location determined by the organization, and will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis.
For more information, contact Newman at leslea@lesleakids.com.
To mark National Poetry Month this month, Newman has distributed some three dozen 11-by-17-inch yellow posters to downtown merchants to put in their windows. The posters feature classic poems by Sappho, Walt Whitman, Langston Hughes, Emily Dickinson, W. B. Yeats, William Blake, Federico Lorca Garcia, among others.
Newman also suggests these 10 ways to celebrate National Poetry Month:
1. Read a poem.
2. Write a poem.
3. Memorize and recite a poem.
4. Buy a book of poetry for yourself.
5. Buy a book for a friend.
6. Go to a local poetry reading.
7. Visit the Smith College Poetry Center.
8. Attend the 7 p.m. Monday night Poetry Discussion Group at Forbes Library on West Street.
9. Visit the Emily Dickinson homestead in Amherst.
10. Take a poet to lunch.
Newman said her mission as poetry laureate is important because she believes poems can be an important force in people's lives.
"I think poetry can be soothing during troubled times," she said. "It can be inspiring. It can be comforting."
Traditionally, the city's poet laureate serves for two years. The previous laureates are Martin Espada, Janet Aalfs and Jack Gilbert.
