Tony Boyle, manager of the Travel Marquette Visitor Experience, ponders the Great Lakes Poetry Festival’s Poetry Broadside Art Exhibit located at Travel Marquette. The exhibit will be on display through June for those wishing to view it. (Journal photo by Taylor Johnson)

MARQUETTE — April is National Poetry Month, and the Peter White Public Library has been hosting related events as sponsor of the inaugural Great Lakes Poetry Festival.

“This festival gives people the opportunity to really be exposed to a lot of different poets,” GLPF co-organizer and adult programming coordinator for the PWPL Marty Achatz said. “If you think you don’t like poetry, you should show up for some of these events, and hopefully you’ll find your poet, the one that’s going to make you realize how wonderful poetry really is.”

Events for the rest of the month at the PWPL include:

≤ Today, Matinee film: “Moccasins and Microphones.” Film exploring modern Native American storytelling through performance poetry; noon in the PWPL Community Room

≤ Saturday, teen reading/poetry contest reading featuring winners and participants from Great Lakes Teen Poetry Contest; 1 p.m. in the PWPL Community room

≤ Sunday, Cindy Hunter Morgan and Lynn Domina poetry reading with music by Kerry Yost; 7 p.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Morgan Chapel

≤ Monday, film: “Bigfoot and Marty,” a documentary about Bigfoot, two-time U.P. laureate Marty Achatz, and more. Q&A with filmmakers after the screening; 7 p.m. in the PWPL Community Room

≤ Tuesday, Bluesday Tuesday, blues concert sponsored by the Marquette Area Blues Society; 7 p.m. in the PWPL Community Room

≤ Thursday, Poetry Jam Closing, bring your poems to share with improvisational accompaniment, music by Michael Waite; 6 p.m. in the PWPL Community Room

≤ April 29, Matinee Film: “Bigfoot and Marty,” a documentary about Bigfoot, two-time U.P. laureate Marty Achatz and more. Q&A with filmmakers after the screening; noon, held virtually (see www.pwpl.info for virtual event information)

In addition to the events at PWPL, there is a GLPF Poetry Broadside Art Exhibition on display at Travel Marquette on West Washington Street, created by the Marquette Poets Circle.

The art will be on display through June. The art pieces, made by local poets, are both visual and literary creations.

“Its like going to an art gallery, but also like reading a book of poems at the same time. It’s a really unique experience,” Achatz said.

Other poetry month events include:

≤ Today, MA reading, 5 p.m. at The Crib

≤ Wednesday, reading, 6 p.m., at the Ishpeming Carnegie Public Library

≤ Wednesday, Stump the Poet, 7:30 p.m. at Cognition Brewery

“Poetry is always been sort of that voice of saying the truth and really connecting human beings. Poetry is like the oldest form of art in a way, spoken art. It’s a way for people to connect with each other and feel connected as a community,” Achatz said.

Taylor Johnson can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 248. Her email address is tjohnson@miningjournal.net.