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New York City Celebrates "Poem In Your Pocket Day"

April 21, 2016

Five Winning #PoetweetNYC Entries Announced in Metro New York

NEW YORK—On Thursday, April 21, New York City hosts the annual “Poem in Your Pocket Day,” a citywide celebration led by the Office of the Mayor in partnership with the City’s Department of Cultural Affairs to encourage all New Yorkers to appreciate poetry and highlight the importance of literacy during National Poetry Month. Throughout the month of April, organizations have hosted poetry events across the five boroughs, and on April 21, all New Yorkers are encouraged to carry a poem in their pocket to share with friends, family and colleagues.

“We all carry poems with us, even if we don’t know it,” said First Lady Chirlane McCray. “Sometimes it’s the inspiring words of a song that drift round and round our mind. Sometimes it’s a fabulous phrase we overheard on the subway and vow to tuck into an email or conversation. And sometimes, especially today, it is an actual poem, folded up carefully and kept close at hand. On Poem in Your Pocket Day, I encourage all New Yorkers to share their poems, their songs, their beautiful phrases – not just today, but every day.”

The City partnered with Metro New York to host the seventh annual “#PoetweetNYC” Twitter poetry contest from April 11 to April 15. @NYCulture and @NYCGov received hundreds of “#PoetweetNYC” submissions and winning entries were published in Metro New York on Poem in Your Pocket Day.

2016 #PoetweetNYC Winners

@beckyphan
Off the 2-3, Wall St 
Fine print, real neat:  
With money comes strings cuz see 
When they say money talks, it's all ventriloquy 
#PoetweetNYC
https://twitter.com/beckyphan/status/721004725722882048

Sahadev Poudel‏@Sahadevision
पहाड जस्तै अग्ला घर, बोकेर उस्तै रहर, कुनै पनि प्रहर आउला अवसर भनि पर्खि रहेछु न्युयोर्क सहर! #PoetweetNYC
https://twitter.com/Sahadevision/status/721008302994432001

Translation:
Tall buildings like mountains,
Bearing alike desire.
any moment,
the opportunity may arrive,
I am Waiting in New York Sahar.

Lindsey Thaden‏@lindsey_thaden
Chinatown/Past the crowds/A door on the ground/A narrow staircase/Does death wait below?/I descend... ¡Ay! Heaven in handbags. #PoetweetNYC
https://twitter.com/lindsey_thaden/status/720975449761779712

Hector X. Monsegur‏@hxmonsegur
Bagel with cream cheese Time stands still on the first bite Hot coffee to go#PoetweetNYC #haiku #NYC @tmichaels1
https://twitter.com/hxmonsegur/status/720942179653443585

Christina González‏@c_gonzalez
Driving in Queens/Which are you? /Street or Drive or Avenue?/ I seek hints, a way out of this mess /But then I consult my GPS. #PoetweetNYC
https://twitter.com/c_gonzalez/status/720242714290180096

2016 Poem in Your Pocket Day Events

In addition to carrying a poem today, New Yorkers are encouraged to visit the cultural groups, schools, libraries, and others that are hosting literary events throughout the city. Highlights include:

Bryant Park Poem in Your Pocket Day Celebration  | 11 AM – 2 PM
This daylong celebration of poetry kicks off the Reading Room's 2016 Word for Word series and is free and open to the public. Students from NYC's elementary, intermediate and high schools will have the opportunity to read their latest poems during the open mic forum. Featuring Emcee Daniel Kitrosser, NYC Youth Poet Laureate Nkosi Nkulueko, DJ Flip Bundlez, NYC Cultural Affairs Commissioner Tom Finkelpearl, and a musical performance by 2012 Youth Poet Laureate Ishmael Islam.
www.bryantpark.org
Bryant Park Reading Room, West 42nd Street and Avenue of the Americas, Manhattan 10036

Brooklyn Public Library Celebrates Poem in Your Pocket Day
Multiple BPL branch locations are honoring PIYP Day, offering free pocket poems and other festivities. Participating branches include:

Bedford Library | 10AM – 8PM
496 Franklin Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11238

Homecrest Library | 10 AM – 6 PM
2525 Coney Island Ave. at Ave. V
Brooklyn, NY 11223

New Utrecht Library | 10 AM – 8 PM
1743 86th St. at Bay 17th St.
Brooklyn, NY 11214

Marcy Library | 10 AM – 8PM
617 DeKalb Ave. at Nostrand Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11216

For additional information and locations visit www.bklynlibrary.org.

New York Public Library Celebrates Poem in Your Pocket Day
A number of branches of the NYPL will honor Poem in Your Pocket Day with readings and other activities. Participating branches include:

Jerome Park Library | 4 PM
118 Eames Place
Bronx, NY, 10468

High Bridge Library | 4:30 PM
78 West 168th Street
Bronx, NY, 10452

Visit www.nypl.org/events/calendar for additional events and information. 

Poem in Your Pocket Day Celebration at Poets House Open Mic & Community Read-In | 3 PM to 6 PM

Join young pocket-poets and other special guests for an afternoon of readings and bring a poem to share, or find one at Poets House. Every year, Poets House partners with local schools to enhance their arts and literature curricula with interactive poetry workshops. The resulting poems are collected in anthologies and presented to each student on Poem in Your Pocket Day at Poets House. Free and open to the public.
Kray Hall, 10 River Terrace, New York, NY 10282
http://www.poetshouse.org/programs-and-events/readings-and-conversations-poem-your-pocket/poem-your-pocket-day-celebration

 

Staten Island Museum | 11AM – 5 PM
The Staten Island Museum celebrates Poem in Your Pocket Day by providing free pocket poems for visitors. This year’s poems are poetic adaptations of William T. Davis’ Days Afield on Staten Island by Marguerite Rivas.
75 Stuyvesant Pl, Staten Island, NY 10301
www.statenislandmuseum.org

Blackout Poetry | Multiple Locations
Youth are empowered to create their own poems by altering existing text to reveal new meaning.

Brooklyn Public Library Arlington Branch | 4 PM – 5 PM
203 Arlington Ave. at Warwick St., Brooklyn, NY 11207
http://www.bklynlibrary.org/calendar/blackout-poetry-arlington-library-042116

New York Public Library Stapleton Branch | 4 PM
132 Canal St. Staten Island, NY, 10304
http://www.nypl.org/events/programs/2016/04/21/blackout-poetry

Queens Library Woodhaven Branch | 4PM – 5PM
85-41 Forest Parkway, Woodhaven, NY 11421
http://www.queenslibrary.org/event/black-out-poetry

Poetry & Pizza at Queens Public Library Peninsula Branch | 4 PM – 5PM
Read your favorite poem or one you've written yourself & have a slice of pizza! Children ages 6-12 are welcome to join us.
92-25 Rockaway Beach Boulevard Rockaway Beach, NY 11693
http://www.queenslibrary.org/event/poetry-pizza

Creative Writing Workshop! at New York Public Library Francis Martin Branch | 4 PM

Do enjoy writing stories or poetry? Come by this workshop and take then time to hone your craft.
2150 University Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10453
http://www.nypl.org/events/programs/2016/04/07/creative-writing-workshop

iEnspire at Queens Library South Jamaica Branch | 4:30 PM – 6 PM
Tweens and Teens submit original poetry, artwork, stories, articles, and issues that are important to them for Enspire Magazine's new youth publication, "Enspire Youth," facilitated by Youth Advisor, Ms. Alicia Mason.
108-41 Guy R. Brewer Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11433
http://www.queenslibrary.org/event/ienspire

Urban Word Uptown Open | 5 PM – 7 PM
Presented by Urban Word NYC and Hi-Arts and hosted by the World Wide Youth Leadership Board. Uptown Open is a monthly open mic series for teens that serves as a safe, uncensored space for poets, spoken word artists, emcees, scholars, and activists to share their powerful and important voices. These events are run by youth for youth, with youth DJs, youth hosts and a monthly featured poet.
Hi-Arts, 213 E 99th Street. NY, NY 10029
http://urbanwordnyc.org/open-mics/

Media Contact

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