2024 Short film aimed at highlighting the struggles on a person across a year leading up to the festive season.
Told through the medium of social media and text messages. Sometimes it is hard to find the words to say how we feel.
National Poetry Month, a celebration of poetry held each April, was introduced in 1996 and organized by the Academy of American Poets to increase awareness and appreciation of poetry in the United States. At NYPL, our Poetry Committee reads as much new work as they can get their hands on. Here are 15 titles published in 2024 (so far) that they want you to know about.

Photo: gettyimages / whitehous.gov--April 30, 2024
During National Mental Health Awareness Month, we recognize the bravery and resilience of the tens of millions of Americans living with mental health conditions, and we show our gratitude for the dedicated mental health professionals and devoted loved ones who stand by them every step of the way. Mental health care is...

Photo: W. W. Norton & Company, Alice James Books / npr.org--April 30, 2024
With National Poetry Month comes spring flowers and some of the year's biggest poetry publications. And as April wraps up, we wanted to bring you two of our favorites — retrospective collections from two of the best poets of the late 20th and early 21st centuries: Marie Howe and Jean Valentine.
Howe's New and Selected Poems makes a concise case for Howe's status as an essential poet. The New & Collected Poems of Jean Valentine gathers all of the beloved late poet's work, a monument to a treasured career.
Ever wonder why May 5th is celebrated in the U.S. and Mexico? Here's the full story.

poetryfoundation.org--May 1, 2024
Poems about the enduring bond between mother and child.

wikipedia.org--May 1, 2024
Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for honoring and mourning military personnel died while serving in the US Armed Forces.
The Favorite Poem Project is a collection of 50+ short video documentaries showcasing individual Americans reading and speaking personally about poems they love.
nypl.org--April 1, 2024
National Poetry Month, a celebration of poetry held each April, was introduced in 1996 and organized by the Academy of American Poets to increase awareness and appreciation of poetry in the United States. At NYPL, our Poetry Committee reads as much new work as they can get their hands on. Here are 15 titles published in 2024 (so far) that they want you to know about.
Thomas Tusser
poetry foundation--April 1, 2024
Using simple, illuminative paper-cut puppetry, this enchanting video imagines the moment of witness that inspired Gwendolyn Brooks to write her landmark poem, “We Real Cool.” Created by Manual Cinema in association with Crescendo Literary, with story by Eve Ewing and Nate Marshall and music by Jamila Woods and Ayanna Woods.

for
Our Annual Celebration of Writers

nationalwomenshistoryalliance.org--March 1, 2024
The theme recognizes women throughout the country who understand that, for a positive future, we need to eliminate bias and discrimination entirely from our lives and institutions.

Photo: Getty Images | PoetryFoundation.org--March 1, 2024

bnnbreaking.com--February 29, 2024
National Reading Month 2024 celebrates the transformative power of reading with events, book launches, and promotions.
Rediscover your love for books this March...Read More
Full of lament and wonder in equal measure, Stephanie Niu's poems are maps that guide us to a place ...Continue Reading
Click image to Purchase Book
Watch the animated music video for
"Black History (It's Yours)"
an original rap anthem that celebrates African-American icons and heroes from Rosa Parks to Kendrick Lamar.
Written and Performed by Idris Goodwin

A Proclamation on National Black History Month, 2024
This National Black History Month, we celebrate the vast contributions of Black Americans to our country and recognize that Black history is American history and that Black culture, stories, and triumphs are at the core of who we are as a Nation.
Watch the animated music video for
"Black History (The Readers are the Leaders)"
an original rap song that that encourages kids to embrace reading
while celebrating African-American icons and heroes
who became successful through literacy.
Based on "The Leaders are The Readers"
by Dr. Gaston Woodland Jr.

Eagerly Awaiting: February 2024 New Book Releases
flyleafbooks.com--February 1, 2024

goodreads.com--December 29, 2023
"I lied and said I was busy.
I was busy;
but not in a way most people understand.
I was busy taking deeper breaths.
I was busy silencing irrational thoughts.
I was busy calming a racing heart.
I was busy telling myself I am okay.
Sometimes, this is my busy -
and I will not apologize for it."
CHIKA’S EMOTIONAL ‘REQUIEM FOR A DREAM’ IS AN HONEST CONFESSION OF HER STATE OF MIND
uproxx.com--December 31, 2023
After a scary brush with some dark thoughts and a subsequent social media hiatus, Chika has returned with new music. Her new song is called “Requiem For A Dream,” and like the film from which it takes its name, the song finds Chika dwelling on her disturbed mental state. She discusses her feeling of alienation and insecurity, as well as her encounters with online fans whose comments and critiques set her off in the past.

Jane Chika Oranika, known mononymously as Chika,
is an American rapper

Benjamin Zephaniah
April 15, 1958 - December 7, 2023
The British writer Benjamin Zephaniah was known for his poetry as well as novels, plays, and other works. The type of poetry he wrote is called “dub poetry,” which means it is poetry that is performed—the words are recited over the beat of reggae music.
British poet and ‘Peaky Blinders’ actor Benjamin Zephaniah dies
msn.com--December 29, 2023
British poet Benjamin Zephaniah, who famously rejected an honor from Queen Elizabeth II over Britain’s empire and links to slavery, died on Thursday, Dec. 7, at the age of 65, his family said. The Rastafarian poet and writer, whose work was greatly influenced by the music and poetry of Jamaica, also turned his hand to acting when he appeared in series six of the hit show “Peaky Blinders” as the character Jeremiah Jesus.

Photo: Three Lions/Getty Images |
npr.org--April 30, 2024
A new collection of Emily Dickinson's letters has been published by Harvard's Belknap Press, edited by Dickinson scholars Cristanne Miller and Domhnall Mitchell.

(poetryfoundation.org)
Resources for teaching and learning remotely.

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