Pauline Adamek
Come one, come all this Thursday, April 21, when the poets descend on the steps of Los Angeles City Hall for a typewriting extravaganza that celebrates poetry, arts, and our fair city of Los Angeles.
Only two days until National “Carry A Poem In Your Pocket” Day. Launched in New York in 2002, as part of National Poetry Month celebrations, this day of poetic festivities has grown more popular every year.
Do you have a poem ready that you want to share? Post your picture with the hashtag #pocketpoem
A brigade of poet and writers from the Melrose Poetry Bureau will hold a “type-in” on the steps of Los Angeles City Hall in honor of National “Carry A Poem In Your Pocket” Day. The Melrose Poetry Bureau will use this day to give members of City Hall, and fellow Angelenos, their very own piece of poetry to show how meaningful a few words can be in our daily lives. Poised to create poetry “on-the-go,” participating artists will set up desks of manual typewriters and invite the public to receive or write poems about the topics of their choice- whether it is a poetic petition to their city lawmaker, or an ode to Olvera Street or a topic of your choice.
This “type-in” takes place in celebration of April as National Poetry Month, and aims to center the discussion of the value of art and poetry in the heart of downtown Los Angeles.
Picture this: Desks with multiple typewriters, poets dressed in vintage-style clothing, poetry typed on flashcards “to-go,” posters and banners with messages celebrating National “Carry A Poem In Your Pocket” Day and National Poetry Month.
As cities across the nation celebrate April as National Poetry month, artists from the Melrose Poetry Bureau are using this public exchange of creativity to spark a conversation on the value of arts and poetry and its place in Los Angeles.
Nayeli Adorador-Knudsen, co-founder of the Melrose Poetry Bureau, says, “Our collective regularly writes for the public, but onNational “Carry A Poem In Your Pocket” Day, we write for the city. Los Angeles is fueled by people from all walks of life that exude creativity in ways big and small. Through art and poetry we want to honor the cultural fabric of Los Angeles. Our voices and stories are what makes this city great- sometimes making them visible only takes a sentence.”
Melrose Poetry Bureau‘s “Type-in”
On the steps of Los Angeles City Hall
200 N Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
(middle landing on the front steps by Spring Street)
Thursday, April 21st, 12:00pm, type-in kicks off
The poetry “type-in” is produced by the Melrose Poetry Bureau, and will feature bilingual poets and writers promoting public arts. The Melrose Poetry Bureau is a typewriting collective that sparks public engagement through poetry.
More Information on this Poetry Type-In can be found on the Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1617225171933375/
More Information on the Melrose Poetry Bureau can be found at
http://www.melrosepoetrybureau.com/
Brian Sonia-Wallace
