WITH THE beginnings of a long-term project set in motion on the recent World Poetry Day, the Poetry Society of Jamaica is expecting future interaction between its members and high school students.
Three high schools, Hillel, Holy Childhood and Camperdown, were visited by members of the Poetry Society.
"The objective was to establish poetry clubs and to get feedback from the schools as to what their interest and concerns in poetry were," said Sheena Johnson-Brown, the Society's public relations officer.
Writers M'Bala and A'Dziko Simba visited Hillel and Holy Childhood, while Andrew Stone, Ann-Margaret Lim, Johnson-Brown and Poetry Society president Tommy Ricketts went to Camperdown. Poetry classes were held at all three schools, with the Camperdown visit being to the Literature and Debate Club.
"We plan to do more schools. There were schools that were willing to accommodate us but the day and the time did not suit them, but they are still willing for us to come," Johnson-Brown said.
It is expected that there will be ongoing interaction between the Society and the schools, including assessment of poems, Johnson-Brown saying "we want to have that link that the writers of the best poems can come to the Society's meetings and read".
The Poetry Society meets on the final Tuesday evening of each month at the amphitheatre, Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, Arthur Wint Drive, St. Andrew.
Celebrations of World Poetry Day took another format in the evening, with an extensive line-up of poets performing at On D'Roof, Knutsford Boulevard, New Kingston. More than 30 persons did a few poems each in an event hosted by Rass Rodd, with Mutabaruka providing the music for the following 'Poemtry Party'.
There were a couple women on the mostly male line-up, Gina Rey-Forrest doing 'Sacrilege' and 'It's Not Working', while Ann-Margaret Lim did 'Shackled' and 'Bingie Moses 2004'.
- M.C.
