Famous Poet to Help Teens Craft Poetry at Ford Library

Poet Rachel Javellana

Ford Library welcomes well-known poet and teaching artist, Rachel Javellana. Recognized through national organizations such as The Poetry Center of Chicago, Words@Play, Urban Gateways, and Gallery 37 Center for the Arts, Rachel is the 2008 recipient of the Hands on Stanzas Gwendolyn Brooks Award for excellence in teaching, has performed her poetry in many Chicago venues, and co-authored The City (a chapbook of collaborative poetry). Her poems are forthcoming in The Circus Book. 

Rachel sees a poem as “a distilled moment, an idea that has stuck and crystallized.” Her poems often explore what is unsaid and unfulfilled between people, seeking words to wrap around the unswayable. With the ultimate goal to foster the growth of strong, creative young citizens, Rachel seeks to win over those who say, "I can't write poetry," and challenge the ones who say, "I am already a poet."

Heather Booth, Teen Librarian at Thomas Ford Library believes poetry is “a great art form for middle schoolers because of the intensity and diversity of emotions and experiences that can be expressed in a poem. It doesn't cost anything, can be done anywhere, and requires no special tools.”

Teen poetry can be found everywhere - from classrooms and coffee shops to Twitter and Facebook updates done as haiku. “There’s something about being a teenager that lends itself to writing poetry. It’s a solitary time when individuals attempt to understand themselves and make sense of the world. Yet, all that upheaval and uncertainty that goes with that time of life, the questioning of rules and parents, the anxieties, crises and self-doubt, can make for wonderful poetry.” says award-winning author Ben Okri.

This interactive workshop, entitled Poetry on Your Feet, will take place on Wednesdays from October 7 through November 4, will appeal to any teens interested in expressing themselves through words and movement. It's funded through the generosity of the Western Springs Library Friends.

This program is open to 6th to 8th graders. Registration is required. Space is limited. Call Heather or the Reference Desk at 708-246-0520 to sign up or for more information!