Shawna Foundation Library Poetry Tour

Library : Milford Town Library

Location : Children's Room Milford Town Library, 80 Spruce St., Milford, MA, 01757

Start : Wednesday 16th of April 2025 7:00 PM

End : Wednesday 16th of April 2025 8:00 PM

Description :

April is National Poetry Month and the Shawna Foundation’s Library Poetry Tour will present three Massachusetts poets at three library stops to salute the spoken word. First, a big announcement: we’ve added a third library to our Library Poetry Tour program. Beginning in April, we’ll take the show to the Simon Fairfield Public Library in Douglas, MA,rounding out our stops at the Milford Town Library and the Uxbridge Free Public Library.  We thank our cultural council partners for their financial support since 2023 when we launched theLibrary Poetry Tour. We are grateful for the Milford Cultural Council the Uxbridge Cultural Council, the Massachusetts Cultural Council for joining us in believing that giving voice to poets can change the world. Library Poetry Tour Program Director Kathleen Stoker has curated a true celebration of National Poetry Month beginning on Monday, April 14 at 7 p.m. at the Simon Fairfield Public Library in Douglas, MA with Nanayaa Dadzie, a 20-year-old poet from Westborough currently studying at Quinsigamond Community College. She is a first generation Ghanaian American and equal rights advocate. When Nanayaa was in high school, she led an equal rights movement in Westborough, MA to implement a non-discrimination, no-tolerance policy in the student handbook for Westborough High School. The tour continues on Wednesday, April 16 at 7 p.m. at the Milford Town Library 80 Spruce St. in Milford, MA with Michelle Garcia Fresco, an Dominican poet, performer, and teaching artist based in Boston. Believing in the power of poetry as a medium for social justice, Garcia`s writing is often inspired by the women in her family, social and racial injustices in America, coping with loss and mental health, as well as her Dominican roots. Her work has appeared in Wbur/The Artery, Tinderbox Poetry, the Rising Phoenix. She is also the winner of Stirling Spoons “2020: Identity in America" contest.” Chosen by Richard Blanco, former US Inaugural Poet and author. The last stop is Thursday, April 17 at 7 p.m. at the Uxbridge Free Public Library  with Justin Callender, a poet, artist, music producer, and cook from New Bedford, MA. Among curating local open mic/poetry events, networking, and releasing music, Justin aims to be a staple in the local Hip-Hop scene. The Library Poetry Tour is free.  The Shawna E. Shea Memorial Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)3 arts nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and promoting independent filmmaking, youth empowerment, and the arts. Established in memory of Shawna E. Shea, the foundation provides scholarships, grants, and mentorship programs to encourage creativity, resilience, and artistic expression. Through film festivals, community events, art exhibits, poetry performances, and educational initiatives, the Foundation fosters a vibrant artistic community while honoring Shawna’s legacy. Learn more at www.shawnafoundation.org. milfordtownlibrary.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/shawna-foundation-library-poetry-tour-4/