April 1, 2009 - April is National Poetry Month and to celebrate, New York City cultural and literary organizations will host poetry slams, readings and special cultural programs throughout the month. The month will culminate with Poem in Your Pocket (PIYP) day on Thursday, April 30th, 2009, a special day of poetry activities hosted by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the Department of Education, Bryant Park Corporation, Poetry Society of America, the Academy of American Poets and Everybody Wins.Join thousands of New Yorkers on PIYP day and carry a poem in your pocket to share with friends, family, co-workers and classmates. Take a stroll and visit Bryant Park for the 7th Annual Poem in Your Pocket day open-mic session (11am-3pm), where public officials, public school children, and Broadway celebrities will read their favorite poems. The open mic will also include a special reading from Urban Word featuring exciting beat box renditions of fresh new poems.
To view poems, videos, event listings, and interactive poetry activities, visit the PIYP Facebook page. For more information about PIYP day and poetry events in April, visit www.nyc.gov/poem .
About National Poetry Month
Inaugurated in April 1996, National Poetry Month is a month-long national celebration of poetry. National Poetry Month aims to widen the attention of individuals and the media to the art of poetry, to living poets, and to poetry books and journals of wide aesthetic range and inflection.