New Jersey town to give its poets a ‘parade’

April is National Poetry Month and Pitman, N.J is celebrating with a new event. Pitman Poems on Parade will feature the work of local poets on display in participating shop windows along Broadway, Pitman and Holly Aves.
 
The original poems can be seen in 55 participating stores and McCowan Library from Apr. 11 through Apr. 30.
 
The literary project is the brainchild of Pitman Middle School librarians, Irene Donnelly and Lynne Nelson (now retired).  Inspiration came from a magazine article about “PoemCity”, a town-wide showcase of poetry in Montpelier, VT.
 
“We said, ‘We can do that!’,” Nelson shared. And so they did.  Response has been very encouraging, she said.  
 
Submissions come from residents and those with a connection to Pitman, including a former Miss Pitman and the town’s chief of police.  The oldest participating poet is aged 92, while the youngest is just five years old.  So far, Donnelly and Nelson have received 52 poems from 40 poets, but anticipate the number to nearly double by the submission deadline.
 
‘We are so hopeful that Pitman Poems on Parade will become an annual event and defining legacy of our town,” Nelson said. 
 
Saturday, Apr. 11 through Thursday, Apr. 30 – Downtown Pitman, N.J.
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This post is part of our South Jersey Events Listing