HomeMy WebLinkAboutPoet Laureate Committee Meeting Minutes 2-12-2020 Minutes for North Andover Poet Laureate Committee Meeting
February 12, 2020, at 7:00 p.m. Stevens Memorial Library
Attendees:
Jill Barker, Mark Bohrer, Karen Kline, Marie McAndrew-Taylor, Bridget Rawding
Welcome and Opening Poem
Call to order at 7:09 p.m.
Mark read "Shoulders," by Naomi Shihab Nye, from the anthology Healing the Divide (ed.
James Crews).
Review and Discussion of Latika's Project
- Latika agreed to do a video promoting the April 15th NAHS Poetry Cafe, to be shown to
students in their classrooms
- Mark will try to meet with Latika on Saturday to complete video
- We plan also to invite middle school students to come to February poetry night and promote
other upcoming events
Review of Pop-Up Poetry Events
Mark provided the following updates:
- Mark spoke with the Assistant Director at Bulger Animal Hospital to confirm event on
Saturday, March 7, at 2:00 p.m. Event will be held off to the side of main lobby
- Good Day Cafe is confirmed for Saturday, March 14, at 2:00 p.m. Cafe will stay open later
to accommodate event
- Goldenseal Apothecary is confirmed for Sunday, March 22, at 2:00 p.m.
- Mark spoke with Kelly O'Hara at YMCA this event will be held either on Saturday, March
28, or Sunday, March 29, in the main area where there is plenty of foot traffic. They will
decide soon which day is better
- Bikram Yoga is confirmed for Friday, April 3, at 8:00 p.m.
- Mark will create a Facebook event for each program and will share event with that
business so that they can also promote it on their own Facebook pages
- Mark also plans to reach out to schools:
- Grade school (4th and 5th grades)for Bulger and YMCA events
- Middle school for Goldenseal Apothecary event
- High school for Good Day Cafe event
- Mark also created a 2-page flyer to promote all five programs
Karen suggested each event also have poetry rounds to increase participation among
attendees.
Review and Discussion of Town's Open Meeting Law
Mark noted that the town's Open Meeting law applies to us in our official Poet Laureate
Committee duties, which are mainly to choose the next Poet Laureate and to support the current
Poet Laureate's activities.
Mark will speak with someone at Town Hall to confirm this interpretation.
Review and Update of North Andover School Plans
At the High School's Poetry Cafe or Poetry Jam, we will invite participants to May's Open Mic.
Other upcoming school projects were already discussed above.
Review and Update - National Poetry Month Reception
- Reception will be held on Tuesday, April 21, at the Stevens Memorial Library
- Marie will confirm the time of event
- Mark will invite Pop-Up Poetry attendees to this reception as well
Other Poetry Month Events
For April 21 event, what to do beyond open mic?
Karen suggested that we highlight Massachusetts poets:
- Readings of works by Mass. poets
- Up to three better-known Mass. poets will be specially invited to read their work and speak
about why they are a poet
Next Meeting:
Wednesday, April 1, at 7:00 p.m. at Stevens Memorial Library
At meeting's adjournment, Mark read the closing poem, "Planting Peas," by Linda Hasselstrom
Respectfully submitted,
Bridget Rawding