News Release

06/15/2007
Library Takes Poetry to the Streets

Innovative Poetry Project Spawns Youth Poetry Anthology and Community Sharing

To write a poem
Sometimes it’s hard to write a poem if you haven’t got an idea,
It can be kind of like trying to put together a puzzle when you haven’t got the pieces
But you always get an idea sooner or later,
Then you can write your poem
Sometimes writing can be a slow and difficult as a turtle trying to climb a stone wall,
You don’t always get there on the first try,
But eventually you will succeed. [from Youth Poets Poetry Anthology]

Flannery Brown, Olneyville

When a group of young library patrons signed up in March for a new after-school library program, they hardly could imagine writing their own poetry, never mind seeing it published and literally living on the streets of Providence and all Rhode Island, for that matter.

But that’s just what has happened for each of the 25 middle and high school-aged library patrons who participated in Providence Public Library’s (PPL) Poetry Lives in Providence – a unique learning program offered to Providence youth this spring. Participants came from 11 area schools and also included some students who are home-schooled.

The program was made possible by a $7,500 National Endowment for the Arts grant. The young poets’ works have been officially published, not only in a 75-poem Youth Poets Poetry Anthology available in print and can be seen riding around on the backs of 21 RIPTA buses through June.

For many of the program participants, the experience has proven to be both educational as well as a welcome opportunity to express themselves in a new way. Further, it has provided the chance to have their work presented to others.

Eleanor Kaplan, mother of Aaron, explained, “My son does a great deal of writing, but this program helped him to expand his creative thinking. Kate shared many new techniques for him to use to look beyond his normal writing process,” said Kaplan.

Kate Schapira was the poet educator at Smith Hill Branch Library, where Aaron took part. “I really have enjoyed working with such smart, brave and inventive kids, and was glad to be doing this in conjunction with two of my favorite services: public transportation and the public library,” said Schapira.

“What most impressed me was the enthusiasm that the students brought to the project,” said Christine Gardiner, Olneyville Branch poet educator. “The kids were passionate about their own work, supportive of their peers’ efforts and receptive to new concepts. It was a pleasure to work with them.”

For sure, the six-week project has left many yearning for more.

“My only complaint is that the program has ended,” said Dawn Keable, of Providence, mentor for Yasmibel Lora, who studied with local poet educator Christine Gardiner at the Olneyville Branch Library. Keable noted that the poetry class provided an excellent opportunity for Yasmibel to understand that her words do, indeed, matter.

The project had multiple goals. For six weeks through March and April, area youth worked with one of three local published poet educators reading and exploring poetry in all its various styles. Ultimately, the youth learned how to write poetry of their own.

“This youth poetry project is just one example of how the Library is able to work innovatively to fund and deliver valuable literacy programs and services to Providence’s youth, particularly during the critical after-school hours,” said Library Director Dale Thompson.

Meanwhile, the poet educators gained an understanding of curriculum needed to teach poetry to inner city teens, as well as the opportunity to “spread the word” about the joy of poetry and its creative process.

Kate Schapira was the poet educator at Smith Hill Branch Library, where Aaron took part. “I really have enjoyed working with such smart, brave and inventive kids, and was glad to be doing this in conjunction with two of my favorite services: public transportation and the public library,” said Schapira.

The final goal of the program was a community sharing component. The community, at large, has benefited from exposure to the resulting works as the project culminated in poetry readings and the printing and displaying of excerpts from selected youth poetry, along with the local poets’ works, throughout the City.

“It has been very inspiring to see how everyone has gotten something valuable from this effort,” said Candice Haster, program coordinator.

“As well as working with young people to teach and share poetry writing as a powerful form of literary expression, we have made poetry accessible to a larger audience and achieved a shared community experience, which is an important part of the process. People who don’t usually read poetry are reading and enjoying the poems these creative young people have produced…just because we’ve been able to put them in places where people can easily see them,” said Haster.

“We are delighted that we can showcase poetry by some of the City’s talented young people on our buses,” said Karen Mensel, RIPTA’s director of marketing and communications.

In addition to the RIPTA bus signs in May and June, visitors to Borders Bookstore at Providence Place as well as three the PPL branch libraries where the program was held can see the young poets’ work displayed.