National Poetry Month

Did you know that April is National Poetry Month?

Inaugurated by the Academy of American Poets in 1996, National Poetry Month is now held every April, when schools, publishers, libraries, booksellers, and poets throughout the United States band together to celebrate poetry and its vital place in American culture.

Gaithersburg Book Festival Committee member Christine Koubek shared with us her two favorite poems in honor of this month:

“This past year I’ve especially loved ‘Tell all the Truth’ by Emily Dickinson. I love her ‘Tell it Slant’ line because it seems the truest thing about writing, both for fiction and nonfiction.

“If an author unknown’ poem is okay, though, this popular poem is close to my heart. My birthmother gave me a framed version of it shortly after we met: Legacy of an Adopted Child.”

We’ll be posting more favorite poems from Committee members throughout the month and encourage you to share with us your favorite poems — with links to the full poems if they’re posted anywhere online — in the comments section. Also, here are some additional ways to celebrate National Poetry Month, courtesy of Poets.org.