NEA Big Read – Telling Your Story Through Art: Poetry

We’re participating in the NEA Big Read with UW-Whitewater and libraries and organizations throughout southern Wisconsin. Our featured books are “The Latehomecomer” and “A Map Into the World” by author Kao Kalia Yang.

Please enjoy the many events and opportunities surrounding these beautiful books. A detailed list and links for all virtual events can be found at the UW-Whitewater Young Auditorium website.

Author Kao Kalia Yang has found a way to tell her story through the beautiful words and artwork in her books. We hope you can use the “art-to-go” kits at the Edgerton Public Library as a way to tell part of your story!

USING THE POETRY KIT:

Begin in one of three ways.

1. Cut out words from the magazines that spark some meaning for you. Attach the words to the magnetic strips and then use them to create a poem.
2. Write a simple poem. Use the magazines to find the words to create a set of magnets that will let you express your poem.
3. Instead of cutting words out of a magazine, type or write out the words that you’d like to include in your set.

Share your poem! Refrigerator, cookie sheet, white board – wherever you feel comfortable sharing your words!

April is National Poetry Month! Explore these resources about writing and sharing poetry.

• The website for the Academy of American Poets has some wonderful resources to help you celebrate.
• 30 ways to Celebrate National Poetry Month at Home or Online
• “Meet” the current Wisconsin Poet Laureate, Dasha Kelly Hamilton
• Explore writing prompts from the Poetry Society of the UK

Photo used with permission under Creative Commons license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/