FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Patricia Spencer, Public Information Officer
406.447.6684 pspencer@lclibrary.org
Celebrate National Poetry Month @ Your Lewis & Clark Library!
April 11, 2018 (Helena, MT)—April is National Poetry Month and Your Lewis & Clark Library is pleased to host two signature poetry events in celebration of poetry and poets. Introduced in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets, National Poetry Month is now held every April, when schools, publishers, libraries, booksellers, and poets throughout the United States band together to celebrate poetry and its vital place in American culture.
The Lewis & Clark Library Foundation is hosting its 10th Annual Community Leaders Poetry Reading on Tuesday, April 17th at 7PM and the Library is hosting the 12th annual Teen Poetry Slam on Wednesday, April 18th at 7PM.
The Community Leaders Poetry Reading features local leaders sharing their favorite pieces of poetry. Lewis & Clark Library Director John Finn explains that this year’s Community Leaders Poetry Reading “will feature one community member from the previous years.” The community leaders who have volunteered to read at this year’s event include:
• Jim Smith (2009) – Former Mayor of Helena
• Libby Goldes (2010 – Trustee, Helena School Board
• Andy Hunthausen (2011) – Lewis & Clark County Commissioner
• Bruce Whittenberg (2012) – Executive Director, Montana Historical Society
• Ron Waterman (2013) – Retired attorney and member, Lewis & Clark Library Board
• Joan Bishop (2014) – Former Lewis & Clark Library Foundation Board Member
• Delaney Knudson (2015) – Member, Library Teen Advisory Group
• Matt Kuntz (2016) – Executive Director, NAMI - Montana
• Ella Smith (2017) – Campaign Organizer
• Opal Winebrenner (2018) – Retired attorney, Member, Lewis & Clark Library Foundation Board
The event is free and open to the public and will be held in the Ambrose Reading Room. The Foundation will also host a reception featuring fancy desserts from the Helena High Culinary Arts Club.
For additional information about the Foundation or the Community Leaders Poetry Reading, contact Library Director John Finn at 447-1690, extension 117. The Lewis & Clark Library Foundation website is: www.lclibfoundation.org.
Teens in grades 6-12 are invited to participate in the 12th annual Teen Poetry on Fire, a poetry slam that allows local teens to share their original works in a supportive climate.
What is a Poetry Slam you may ask, a poetry slam is a competitive event in which poets perform their work and are judged by members of the audience. Scoring is based on the poets' content
and performance. Participants are invited to bring three original poems less than three minutes in length and compete in this supportive competition. Poets should arrive and register between 6:30 and 6:50; event starts at 7 pm. Don't want to perform your poetry? Be a judge! Judges are selected from the audience.
For more information on Poetry on Fire, contact Teen Services Librarian, Heather Dickerson at 447.1690 ext 132.
For more information on these and other events, visit www.lclibrary.org.
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