20 Apr ‘Poetry: It’s a Shore Thing!’ a Hit at Long Beach Library Poetry Festival

This year the Shore Poets’ Poetry: It’s a Shore’ Thing! at the Long Beach Public Library Poetry Festival was a great success! I am ever so pleased that I was able to work with the creative team from the Long Beach Public Library,  Sarah Siegel and Nicole Menzzasalma.

The whole day was filled with energy and appreciation for the spoken and written word. It is estimated that over 150 people attended the poetry festival throughout the day on Saturday. And, more than 70 people attended the two open mics, hosted by my friends Theresa Rosario-Berzner, Peter V. Dugan, Jim Coulter and Nina Malkin,  AKA the Shore Poets! The evening mic, hosted by Lost Island Arts, had its own great vibe, and its own amazing stage design too. On Sunday, the festival had a well-attended workshop program that covered topics a variety of topics: how to publish your prose, free verse writing, and a discussion group on the poet’s craft. We were so proud to have six poets funded by Poets & Writers and to also be part of the Teachers & Writers Collaborative #NYSATEOFPOETRY week.

From Left to Right: Peter Dugan, Anissa Moore, Paula Curci, and Theresa Rosario Berzer. (Photo courtesy of Lisa Dawn Romano)

On top of that Anissa Moore, Nassau Deputy County Executive for Health and Human Services, was our keynote speaker who spoke to an audience of over 50 poets in the morning. She encouraged poets in the audience to be instruments of positive change and to let their words bring healing. She affirmed that the world needs more poets because it (poetry) teaches us how to live. Her participation showed how much the county supported and applauded their creativity and innovation.  It was so wonderful to hear those words from Anissa. Our art does have value and our work educates others. It has positive effects on the health and wellness of a community.  For all of us, the time together, in camaraderie and networking, was affirming!

We had our book launch at the festival too and we could not be prouder of the outcome. Poetry: It’s a ‘Shore Thing! In an Unsure World,  An Anthology of Micro Memoirs from the South Shore Poets Of Long Island was a labor of love. Submissions to the anthology were taken during the initial post-Covid period of 2022-2023 where our open mic participants submitted their mico-memory poems and stories after being prompted ‘on the spot’ at the open mic to hand in their recollections a 5 x 8 index card. It is a true testament to our lives-lived; a piece of folklore where participants shared their true narratives from memory, while also sharing a common experience with the open mic community.  The anthology is a true time capsule of documented history, shared by all the writers involved, including members of the Freeport Library’s Memoir Group, PPA Tuesdays with Poetry at the Bellmore Library,  and of course the  Shore Poets from The Long Beach Public Library!

See the full event flier below: