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Discussion: “Overlooked Stories and Storytellers"

Between Lines and Stanzas: Ways of Being Human with Poetry

Ellen Gilbert presents two reading and discussion sessions exploring the relationship between poetry and storytelling.

In the first session, participants read “War of the Wall,” by Toni Cade Bambera: Written in 1980, Bambera's story considers the effects of racism, the power of community and what is not seen as characters make assumptions about one another and unfolding events. A reading and discussion of Langston Hughes’s poem “Let America Be America Again” will complement the story.

In the second session, the short story “The Archivists,” by Daphne Kalotay, about the consequences of World War II on the generation that experienced it and those who came afterward, will be read along with W.H. Auden’s poem, “September 1, 1939." 

Intended for families and individuals of all backgrounds, this two-part series helps participants learn more about each other as they listen to one another’s reactions to stories and poems being read aloud together. These sessions foster an atmosphere of dignity and respect: participants may find that they have many unexpected things in common while also finding renewed respect for their differences.

About the Facilitator: Ellen Gilbert has a doctorate in library science and a passion for leading short story discussions.

For more poetry programming, see the digital brochure for "Verse and Voice: A Festival of Poetry" taking place from April 18-May 4 at the library. 

In partnership with humanists and humanities organizations across the country, the National Humanities Center is supporting numerous public events across the U.S. These community-focused events, organized and presented by local artists, scholars, and educators, highlight the incredible breadth of the humanities and demonstrate how they add depth and meaning to our lives, help us understand ourselves and one another, and provide context for the complex world around us. The American edition of the Being Human Festival, begun in 2024, is the latest international expansion of the Being Human effort, launched in the United Kingdom in 2014.

2nd Floor Conference Room Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Available in advance by request: assistive listening system compatible with personal T-coil-enabled devices (compatible headphones also available for use during programs)
• If there is an accommodation that you need or would like so that you can fully enjoy library programs, please visit our Accommodations Request Form.

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