HMM
HMM WELCOME BACK APRIL IS NATIONAL POETRY MONTH. IT'S KIND
OF EASY TO SEE WHY FLOWERS AND
TREES BLOOMING CREATE SOME
BEAUTIFUL INSPIRATIONAL SCENES
RIGHT, ESPECIALLY WITH THE WORDS
RIGHT WHEN WE CAN BE VISUAL WITH
OUR WORDS, THE POET LAUREATE OF
CLINTON, CONNECTICUT, CATHY WEIS
IS CELEBRATING THIS MONTH WITH
SOME PORTRAITS OF HER TOWN. AND
KATHY IS HERE NOW ON THE COUCH.
TELL US ALL ABOUT IT. GOOD
MORNING, KATHY. WELCOME WELCOME
AND HAPPY POETRY, MONTH. POETRY
MONTH TO BE BAD, WONDERFUL TO
SEE YOU AGAIN, AND I'VE JUST
ALWAYS CURIOUS. HOW DO YOU
BECOME THE POET LAUREATE? IT'S A
THREE YEAR VOLUNTEER APPOINTMENT
BY THE TOWN. YOU HAVE TO APPLY.
MY TERM WILL END ON JUNE 24TH.
BUT THERE IS A CONNECTICUT
COALITION OF POET LAUREATES, AND
THEY WILL HELP YOUR TOWN. CREATE
A POET LAUREATE. IF YOUR TOWN
DOESN'T HAVE ONE GOAL OF HAVING
A POET LAUREATE IN EVERY TOWN
BECAUSE STUDIES PROVE THAT IT'S
A REALLY BIG ENHANCEMENT FOR
TOWN TO HAVE A POET LAUREATE.
AND WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE POET
LAUREATE? POET LAUREATE? UM IS
ROLE IS TO EDUCATE AND INSPIRE
AND BRING POETRY TO PEOPLE, AND
I'M VERY EXCITED BECAUSE MY GOAL
HAS BEEN TO BRING IT TO PEOPLE
WHO DIDN'T THINK THEY COULD EVER
WRITE A POEM OR YOU KNOW, I WANT
PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND
POETRY TO LIKE POETRY TO NOT BE
AFRAID OF IT. EVERY LAUREATE IS
SELF DIRECTED, AND EVERY
LAUREATE HAS, YOU KNOW, LEAVE
SOME SOMETHING TO THEIR TOWN
WHEN THEY LEAVE, SO I WILL BE
LEAVING THIS PORTRAIT OF CLINTON
POETRY PROJECT AND WHICH WAS MY
GOAL. YOU KNOW MY LEGACY. AND UM
, YOU CAN GET A LOT OF HELP ON
HOW TO BECOME A POET LAUREATE ON
THIS CONNECTED COALITION, UM,
POET LAUREATE, PAGE PARTICULAR
GOOD POET. BUT I HAVE COME UP
WITH SOMETHING. ROSES ARE RED
VIOLETS ARE BLUE. WE'RE ON THIS
PARTICULAR SEGMENT. IT'S ALL
ABOUT YOU. NOT ABOUT ME. IT'S
ABOUT THE PEOPLE. YOU KNOW. IT'S
NOT ABOUT THIS ISN'T BOOK IS NOT
ABOUT ME AT ALL. IT'S ABOUT ALL
THE PEOPLE IN PLACES IN CLINTON.
UM I'M SO EXCITED BECAUSE MY
BACKGROUND IS IN HEALTH AND
SOCIAL SERVICES AND WHAT WE WAS
A RADIATION THERAPIST STARTED
BACK IN 70. AND THEN I WENT AND
, YOU KNOW, BECAME SOCIAL WORKER
AND, UM AND THEN I HAD A CAREER
IN FUNDRAISING BECAUSE I THOUGHT
IT COULD SERVE MORE PEOPLE
INSTEAD OF ONE ON ONE. SO THIS
IS MY THIS IS THIS IS SOMETHING
BIG FOR ME BECAUSE IT CONNECTS.
I'M I LOVE TO CONNECT COMMUNITY
. THIS WAS A PROJECT TO CONNECT
THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE WE WERE
JUST COMING OUT OF THE PANDEMIC
TO WAIT FOR EVERYONE TO
RECONNECT AND SO EXCITED THIS
THURSDAY, EVERYONE'S COMING TO
THE HENRY CARTER HALL LIBRARY TO
READ THEIR POEMS. THAT'S WORST
FIRST TIME POETS WHO NEVER WROTE
A POEM BEFORE ALL THE WAY UP TWO
VERY EXPERIENCED WRITERS. SO
THIS IS NOT A BOOK OF JUST ALL
OF YOUR POEMS. NO TELL US ABOUT
SO THIS IS COLLECTIVELY PEOPLE
WHO LIVE IN CLINTON WHO HAVE
WROTE POEMS. YES, I GAVE
WORKSHOPS OKAY YEAR. I AT
MORGAN'S SCHOOL. UM AT THE
CREATIVE WRITING CLASS, I GAVE
WORKSHOPS AT THE TOWN HALL. THIS
PROJECT TOOK A LITTLE BIT OVER A
YEAR AND I DIDN'T WANT ANYONE
EXCLUDED. SO IF THERE WAS A
SENIOR CITIZEN THAT WANTED TO
PARTICIPATE, I WENT TO THEIR
HOMES AND TAUGHT THEM VOLUNTEERS
TO DRIVE THEM THURSDAY IGHT TO
COME AND READ THEIR POEMS AND,
UM I THAT'S WHY I'M EXCITED.
THIS REALLY ISN'T ABOUT ME. I
HAVE A FEW POEMS IN HERE AS
EXAMPLES OF THE PORTRAIT POEM.
THERE'S THREE TYPES OF PORTRAIT
POEMS, THE IPOD PHONE. THERE'S
THE POEM THAT'S A TRIBUTE OR
SOME PEOPLE DIDN'T WANT TO WRITE
ABOUT THEMSELVES. SO THEY WROTE
ABOUT A BRIDGE IN CLINTON, NORTH
STREET AND CLINTON OR THE ADAM
STANTON HOUSE, WHICH IS A
LANDMARK SO AND THEN THERE'S THE
MEDIA REZ, WHICH THE PREVIOUS
POET LAUREATE I WROTE AND THAT
STYLE IN SOME OF THE STUDENTS
WHICH REALLY EXCAVATES AND HIS
DEEPER SO IT'S A VARIETY. YOU
ALSO HAVE SOMETHING ELSE WITH
YOU. OH WELL, SCOTT, YOU INSPIRE
ME WITH THE WEATHER. I'M EXCITED
. HAVE A SCIENCE BACKGROUND. I
USED WHETHER TERMS FOR UM
METAPHORS FOR DIFFERENT POEMS.
AND ACTUALLY, I HAVE. THERE'S
TWO FAVORITES IN THERE THAT
EVERYONE LOVES RED THUNDER SNOW
ON VALENTINE'S DAY. THAT'S A
GOOD DIAMOND DUST IS A FAVORITE
. I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, IT'S
ABOUT BULLYING, AND I THOUGHT
ONLY THE HOT, YOU KNOW, YOUNG
KIDS WERE GOING TO LIKE IT, BUT
PEOPLE MY AGE, BELIEVE IT OR NOT
GET BULLIED. YOU KNOW? OH YES.
NO THERE IS NO TALKING ABOUT
UNKIND COMMENTS, AND I'M SURE
SOMEBODY WILL SAY SOMETHING
ABOUT MY HAIR. STOP YOU'RE
BEAUTIFUL, AND WE SO APPRECIATE
EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE DOING
WHAT A NICE STAPLE FOR THE
COMMUNITY ALONG THE SHORELINE TO
HAVE THAT PLEASURE TO SERVE.
IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE FOR ME TO
HAVE YOU ON THE SHOW. CATHY
WEIS, CLINTON'S POET LAUREATE.
WE CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR
COMING WIDE READING IN THE BOOK.
IS THAT THE AGAIN THE WHOLE
LIBRARY COMMUNITY ROOM. THAT'S
THIS THURSDAY AT SIX PM
INFORMATION. ALSO ON MY WEBSITE
DOT