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Community Day of Poetry

Apr 26, 2019
Various locations
Free and open to the public

An all-day community celebration, Community Day of Poetry is the culminating event of National Poetry Month at Wellesley, an initiative that encourages all members of the community to celebrate the power of poetry to bring people together. The events and activities offered throughout the day are designed to inspire and delight the Wellesley community as they move through the landscape.

The following schedule is also available as a pdf map. All events and activities are free and open to the public.

  • Botanistas-led morning walk—with poetry stops along the way—around Lake Waban: 7 a.m., meet at Clapp Library steps 
  • Pop-up poetry readings at various times and locations across campus
  • Visit Pendleton West 205 (all day) to view Next Stop, an immersive interactive experience modeled after the T subway system in Boston that highlights poems by Wellesley students, faculty, and staff. The immersive video installation simulates journeys through the text of featured poems
  • *CANCELLED due to rain*: Labyrinth walks and poetry readings with Amira Quraishi, interim dean of religious and spiritual life: 8 to 8:20 and 8:30 to 8:50 a.m.
  • Book Arts Lab Poetry Open House (1:30–4 p.m.): Stop by the Book Arts Lab, on the 4th floor of Clapp Library, to crank one of the Lab’s Vandercook presses and print a copy of a poem that you can take with you as a keepsake!
  • Davis Museum and Buddhist Chaplaincy event (2–2:50 p.m.): Meet at the Davis Lobby for an exploration of Isabella Kirkland's “Taxa” series examining the relationship between humans and nature with Davis Student Guides and find inspiration from art for a haiku workshop with Buddhist Chaplain John Bailes.
  • Performance by the Observatory Hill Ramblers (2:15–3:15 p.m.) featuring Kim McLeod (Astronomy), Alden B, Griffith (Environmental Studies) and Jeremy Wilmer, at the Edible Ecosystem Teaching Garden. If raining, this performance will take place in the Observatory Dome.
  • Student multimedia art installations at various locations
  • Performance by Wellesley Out Loud, with an introduction by President Paula A. Johnson: 4:45 p.m. Due to predicted rain, this event will take place in Pendleton Atrium.

The Community Day of Poetry is one of several events taking place on campus throughout the month of April in celebration of National Poetry Month.

Sponsored by the Paulson Ecology of Place Initiative