Celebrating Poetry, 2023

• Opening remarks by Sandy Carlson

• Recitation of Student Poems Honoring Earth Day

A conversation about what makes a poem:  How do you know a poem when you see one? Why do writers write poems?  What is their place in our world?  Do we need them?

• Moderator: Marla Martin

• Panelists: Antoinette Brim-Bell, [videocast], Pegi Deitz Shea [videocast], Pat Mottola [videocast], and Steven Parlato [videocast]

A conversation about why we write:  Who is the audience we hold in our minds as we write?  Whom do we hope will read our finished poems?  

• Moderator: Sandy Carlson

• Panelists: Antoinette Brim-Bell [videocast], Barb Jennes [videocast], Pat Mottola [videocast], Katie Schneider [videocast], and Jack Sheedy [videocast]

Ekphrastic poetry is defined as poems about works of art. “Ekphrasis” is a Greek word that means to describe in vivid detail.  In this workshop, you’ll explore ekphrastic poems alongside the works of art they take as their subject, and you’ll have the opportunity to try your hand at writing an ekphrastic poem.  

• Presenter: Pat Mottola [videocast]

• Materials: Slides of Pat's presentation

Poetry can stand on its own or be enhanced by musical accompaniment. In this creative session, participants have permission to awaken their inner musicians by picking up easy-to-play instruments such as drums, chimes, and shakers to accompany short poetry readings — and then trade roles.

• Presenter:  Julie Cook [videocast]

A conversation about the relationship between what we write and where we are:  How does where we are influence, or interact with, what we write?  The designation of poet laureate is defined by geography.  How is that assignment reflected in the poets’ work?  How does poetry go beyond those borders?  How does it celebrate place?

• Moderator:  Sandy Carlson

• Panelists: Antoinette Brim-Bell [videocast], Pegi Deitz Shea [videocast], Suzanne Frischkorn [videocast], Jim Kelleher [videocast], Pat Mottola [videocast], Tom Nicotera [videocast], and Lin Northrup [videocast]

In the art song repertoire, there is a distinct lack of contemporary music written with developing vocalists in mind. Supported by a UConn IDEA Grant, Sarah Marze composed a songbook and created educational resources for high school students of classical voice and their teachers. In collaboration with poets from the Connecticut Poetry Society, Marze has set six poems that  are age-appropriate, fulfilling and accessible for young students. The songs, while written to be teaching tools, contain expressive music for all ages meant to be a bridge into contemporary music.