Celebrating Poetry in April
April is National Poetry Month, and PoemTown Randolph is in full swing for its 12th annual celebration of the written word. PoemTown, along with Montpelier's PoemCity, has become a popular event around Vermont, with Randolph joining other towns such as St. Johnsbury, Brattleboro, and Bradford in celebrating this craft. For the entire month of April, visitors and residents will be able to enjoy poems displayed in numerous windows throughout Randolph's downtown area as well as at the Whale Tails near Exit 4. Poems can also be found along the floodplain forest trail accessed near Valley Bowl off Prince Street. A total of 115 poems from 69 poets representing 47 Vermont towns will be displayed.
Visit the PoemTown website for a full list of the poems and their locations, as well as details about this year's live events.
Upcoming Live Events
PoemTown Randolph features three free live poetry events starting on April 10th:
Thursday, April 10 - VT Poet Laureate Bianca Stone at Chandler's Esther Mesh Room. The reading will be followed by a dessert reception.
Saturday, April 19 - Local Poets Danny Dover and Ina Anderson at Kimball Library. This event will showcase the talent of two Vermont poets, celebrating the vibrant local poetry scene.
Saturday, April 26 - Silloway Maple Farmer Poets at Silloway Maple Sugar House. The finale event features farmer poets Taylor Mardis Katz, an herb farmer; Katie Spring, a vegetable and flower farmer; and Greg Bernhardt, a goat farmer and cheesemaker.
Poetry is meant to be read out loud, and this year's lineup of poets is genuinely wonderful. All of the live events begin at 7 PM and promise to be engaging and inspiring.
Supporting Local Poets
PoemTown Randolph is continuing its grant program started last year to support the continuing education of submitting poets. The grants are made possible by the generosity of donors and a small profit made on the annual sale of poem anthologies. Poets who submitted poems this year were eligible to apply for these grants. Taylor Katz, Anne Bergeron, Stephen Doherty, and Amelia Gilchrist are this year's recipients and will be using the funds to further develop their skills in poetry writing.
PoemTown is organized by a small group spearheaded by local poet Janet Watton, with support this year from Jon Kaplan, Christina Strong, and Sandy Edmonds. The 2025 PoemTown Randolph celebration is sponsored by several generous local businesses as well as the Jack and Dorothy Byrne Foundation. Local sponsors include RACDC, Bar Harbor Bank & Trust, Northfield Savings Bank, Dubois & King, and Napa Auto Parts.
As in past years, all selected poems are collected in a bound anthology that is available for purchase. Copies will be available for $15 at each live event. Event organizers are hoping for good weather so people can enjoy the poetry around town and for a good turnout at the live events throughout the month.