The Friends of the New Bern-Craven County Public Library invite you to attend a free poetry reading of poems about New Bern history on April 29 at 2 p.m. in the library’s Hayden H. Jones Auditorium. “The Poet’s Eye: New Bern Through History” celebrates both National Poetry Month and National Library Week. The event is co-sponsored by the New Bern Historical Society and Nexus Poets and will be hosted by Sam Love, local poet, and author.
The audience can travel back in time and see how local poets reacted to events in our community, sometimes even as they were happening. The poems will be read by Nelson McDaniel and Amy Tattersall. Listening to the poetry gives you a first-hand glimpse of the changes and events that have shaped New Bern over the last two centuries.
In one of New Bern’s first recorded poems, Stephen R. Chester shares the excitement of the first steamship plying the Neuse River and building on the tradition of New Bern, once known as the Athens of the South for its rich cultural life.
Poet Thomas Watson described New Bern as a “bright Eden” surrounded by waters “sparkling and pure”.
Mary Bayard Clarke commemorated the Confederate dead at the dedication of the Civil War monument in Cedar Grove Cemetery. Dr. James Patterson ventured deep into the crypt below the statue and used poetry to record his impressions. Dr. Patterson also used poetry to vividly describe the human devastation by the great fire of 1922.
“This will be a real treat for the ears,” said host Sam Love. “Turning into New Bern’s poets through history lets us savor a time when words triggered images more vivid than reality television”.
The Friends of the New Bern-Craven County Public Library will hold an election of officers prior to the presentation.
For more information, contact the Friends via email.
By Joanne Straight