ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS (April 12, 2022) — Midwest Writing Center (MWC) and the SPECTRA Reading Series are hosting a showcase of local poets and writers at Rozz-Tox, 2108 3rd Ave, Rock Island, on Thursday, April 28. This is in celebration of National Poetry Month, which is held by the Academy of American Poets each year and is “the largest literary celebration in the world.”
MWC is partnering with Dead Poet’s Espresso and the Moline Public Library to display original poems written by local writers at their locations throughout the month of April. This event will feature many of these writers reading their featured poems and an additional poem, so each reader will be reading two original poems. Some of these writers have published widely, and for others, this is the first public time they have shared their work publically. The styles and subject matter vary widely, but we will be gathering to celebrate the “integral role” poetry has in our culture.
Both of these events are free and open to the public, though donations to support MWC youth writing programs is appreciated.
This program is made possible thanks to support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, and thanks to the partnership of Dead Poet’s Espresso, the Moline Public Library, and Rozz-Tox.
INFO FOR EVENTS AT ROZZ-TOX:
- Masks are highly encouraged, but no longer required;
- Proof of vaccination required OR a negative PCR covid test dated three days prior to event for all indoor shows; and
- Limited capacity of sixty for all indoor events.
ABOUT NATIONAL POETRY MONTH (from the Academy of American Poets website):
Launched by the Academy of American Poets in April 1996, National Poetry Month reminds the public that poets have an integral role to play in our culture and that poetry matters. Over the years, it has become the largest literary celebration in the world, with tens of millions of readers, students, K–12 teachers, librarians, booksellers, literary-events curators, publishers, families, and — of course — poets, marking poetry's important place in our lives.
