An invitation to poetry Book

SMART and FUN

I took out a video called the Poem Project at the Pratt Library a few months ago and I enjoyed it immensely. It contained a broad range of everyday readers and their relationship with one of their favorite poets. Each reader reads his or her favorite poem and explains its significance'significance as it pertains to daily life, and the ways in which these poems live on in them.

Later, I received the book as a gift. It is a great anthology and it comes with the DVD! There are so many memorable readers. From an 11 year-old boy obsessed with baseball, to a Porto Rican woman with big sensual lips, to a Jamaican man proud of his heritage' these memorable readers bring their favorite poems to life… The lusty words roll off of their tongues! I found myself clapping and cheering for the readers. But this isn't spoken word poetry. This project maintains the dignity and integrity of the original works, in terms of how the poetry should be read.

Instead of feeling like you are watching a public event, you get a sense of intimacy. I think true appreciation occurs when we take art into ourselves. In private moments, we are able to consider poetry's significance. The DVD allows the reader to sit in the privacy of the home and to share in the experience of otherness. Each person featured is captivating.

CONCLUSION: This was a project worth doing.