HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-03-13 Poet Laureate Committee Minutes North Andover Poet Laureate Committee Meeting Minutes
Stevens Memorial Library, Reeve Room
March 13, 2019 Meeting began: 7:06 p.m.
Attendees: Mark Bohrer,Jill Barker, Marie McAndrew-Taylor,Jeanne Madden and Gayle Heney. Missing
member: Karen Kline.
Jeanne Madden,the newest member to the Poet Laureate Committee,was welcomed. She shared that
was previously in public seservice and nonprofit service, and is a member of the North Andover Book
Club, and Grub Street.
Mark Bohrer read Gideon Cecil's poem entitled "Extreme"from the book "Poetry is my Sugar". He
shared that he is a runner up in the Frost Foundation Poetry Contest.
The process for notifying personnel at Town Hall and possible meeting with a subcommittee of the
Board of Selectmen to confirm new members was discussed. G. Heney will contact Jessica Furtado,
Middleton Children's Librarian, after she gets formal confirmation that committee members need not be
N.Andover residents,to confirm she's interested in being a committee member.
Mark Bohrer discussed plans for the Friday,April 26 @ 6:00 pm North Andover National Poetry Month
Celebration in the barn at Smolak Farms.The title will be "Spring into Poetry". It was suggested that M.
Bohrer contact Caren Tackett at Smolak Farms to formalize the Smolak Farms program, and make
contacts, if necessary, at Atkinson School to get a commitment from Atkinson teachers for their students
to appear. M. Bohrer will help publicize that students and adults are invited. Readers will read a short
original or favorite poem of about 8 lines or less. Possible topics include nature, North Andover and
humor. He will begin publicizing the event by sending G. Heney concise information she'll tailor to the
Community Bulletin Board on N. Andover Community Access Media for a TV announcement. He will
contact Paul Tennant at the Eagle Tribune, and send information to Jill Barker for the creation of a
Stevens Memorial Library Poster welcoming people to the happening, once Kathleen Keenan, Director,
Stevens Memorial Library, OKs it.
Karen Kline is arranging for 4th and/or St,grade Atkinson grade school students to perform "staircase
poetry".There was discussion about whether that will involve individual students reading/performing
their original or other poetry or if the students would perform together on the stairs in unison. M.
Bohrer is seeking clarification from K. Kline. Smolak Farms will provide a donut to each student
participant and their siblings. Families are encouraged to attend.
G. Heney will provide a podium. M. Bohrer will look into providing an amplifier and mic. Kathleen
Keenan, notified G. Heney, K. Kline and M. Bohrer that North Andover Middle school students in B.
Sparks' class will be "bringing an exhibit to hang in the Community meeting room in April." It was
suggested that Ms. Sparks' class be invited to participate in "Spring into Poetry". Jill Barker will do
soAnne Bate, NAMS's Library Media Specialist, is making a video of"book spine poetry" created by 6t1
and 7th graders. It was discussed that she be contacted to invite her students. G. Heney will speak with
her to see if there is interest for her students' participation in "Spring into Poetry" once the plans are
confirmed.
M. Bohrer discussed his plans to open with a guest poet at Tuesdays 4 Poetry on the 411 Tuesday of each
month at the Stevens Memorial Library @ 7 p.m. in the Rotunda. An open mic will follow.
Jill Barker closed the meeting w/the reading of Gerard Manley Hopkins' "Spring".
Meeting adjourned: 8:36 p.m. Respectfully submitted: Gayle Heney