WNMU Associate Professor and Silver City/Grant County Poet Laureate, Heather FranklandSILVER CITY, NM — Western New Mexico University (WNMU) celebrated National Poetry Month in April with an event organized by Miller Library and The Humanities Department. Additionally, WNMU was a part of a series of poetry events, called, "The Poetry Long Weekend." This long weekend of poetry events was curated by WNMU Associate Professor and Silver City/Grant County Poet Laureate, Heather Frankland, and co-organized with local libraries, poets, and businesses. The kick-off event was at the Miller Library and extended into the heart of Silver City and Bayard.
The festivities kicked off with the premier event at the Miller Library, "A Celebration of Poetry." The two-hour showcase featured a diverse lineup of speakers and performers, beginning with an introduction by Miller Library Director Samantha Johnson. Highlights of the morning included WNMU Writer-in-Residence JJ Amaworo Wilson discussing the vital importance of poetry in contemporary society, The Maverick editors discussing the importance of student voice and creativity, composition student presentations of original work, and original readings by Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs and Poet Laureate Emeritus, Jack Crocker, PH.D., Professor Gregory Robinson Guerra,, Ph.D., Frankland, and local poet Leonore Hildebrandt.
In discussing the event, Professor Frankland stated, "At an event like this, we are able to showcase the importance of poetry and voice from multiple writers on different stages of their writing journey. The center of this event is and has always been the students. Allowing students a chance to share their original creative work is important. Likewise, we can see how poetry can create bridges between people. This year marks the second year where we were part of a series of community events. This shows the connection and opportunities that WNMU has with the larger community."
The celebration continued at Bayard Public Library, with a hands-on workshop entitled, "Pantoums, Zines, Tankas, and Smash Books Workshop," where participants explored non-traditional poetic forms and physical media taught by Mimbres poet, Cheryl Howard.
The next day, the focus shifted to The Public Library of Silver City for a poetry reading and book launch. The event debuted Cacti Fur Collective, a poetry split published by Grandma Moses Press. Publisher Tim Staley joined the featured poets Susan Melinda Morée, Beate Sigriddaughter, Elise Stuart, and Frankland to present the collection.
Further activities started Saturday at Desert Bouquet Studio on Yankie Street with "The True Haiku Workshop" led by Kit West. Later that afternoon, the "Word Cafe" at Tranquilbuzz Coffee House featured readings by local youth poets, coordinated by Shelly Barnett, highlighting the next generation of creative voices in the region.
The events concluded on Sunday, April 12, at Javalina Coffee House. WNMU Miller Library Public Services Manager and Silver City/Grant County Poet Laureate Emerita, Allison Waterman, and Professor Roberta Brown hosted a "Postcard Poetry" session, where attendees combined brief, impactful verses with visual art, providing a creative and communal end to the long weekend.
The series of events was made possible through the collaborative efforts of the poet laureate with several organizations, including SWAG Books & More, WNMU Media Services, the WNMU Humanities Department, Miller Library, The Maverick, Silver City Public Library, Bayard Public Library, Javalina Coffee House, Tranquilbuzz Coffee House, Desert Bouquet Studio, and the Southwest Word Fiesta (SWWF).
