today is a words day

 ... a big day all over for words, down in Albuquerque and out here in Torrance County.

In Albuquerque today, it's Make Way for Wordsmiths: the city, already a poetry haven from page to stage, announces its first Poet Laureate, joining 42 other U.S. cities with a Poet Laureate program. The inaugural Albuquerque Poet Laureate will be revealed at today's announcement ceremony at the Main Library (501 Copper NW). Santa Fe Poet Laureate Joan Logghe and Centennial Poet Levi Romero will read.

That's not the end of it for the day's poetry either. April is National Poetry Month; this weekend marking mid point is poetry packed. Want to make a day or even weekend of it? Check Lisa Gill's "Surrender to Saturday April 14 Mayhem" overview at the Local Poets Guild. The mayhem, somewhat moderated, continues Sunday and Monday. 

Manzano Mountain Scribes head for Moriarty to join other NM writers supporting and participating in Read "Write" Literacy's annual all-day Authors for Literacy shindig at at the Moriarty Community Library, 9am-4pm. In addition to an active online group, open 24/7, Scribes meet in person at Alpine Alley on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays. Today local author, a featured "author for literacy," and Scribes group coordinator Ben Steinlage and group (or some of it) gather in Moriarty and invite you to join them for the day's festivities  and to cheer on  Mountainair writers Judy Elizabeth Biggar and Biddie McMath, who have entries in the annual community writing contest. Winners will be announced at today's word shindig.

Too bad the arts council's recent email event notice had so few words to spare for an area word event, especially one supported by and showcasing members. A yoga class gets more. Is this Animal Farm where all are equal but some more equal than others? Never mind. Mountainair Arts and Poets and Writers Picnic always have words to spare, plenty more where those came from. Besides, poetry posts and Picnic need to show up here more often. Before getting a blog of its own (then a Facebook page), Picnic and poetry posts were a regular Arts feature. Now though it would appear that few in local arts silo are aware of Picnic, blog or Facebook page. Remedy? More mentions, links, sharing and cross posts ~ starting with this one, cross-posted to Arts and Picnic.