April 7, 2021 – April is National Poetry Month and the Nevada County Community Library is celebrating with special programs, grab bags, and fun activities all month long!

On Mondays in April, the Just My Type writing club is featuring poetry prompt. The library publishes one prompt ahead of time and one new prompt at the beginning of the meeting for a free-write. Each week participants meet via Zoom to share and discuss. Registration is required on the library events calendar for this event.

On April 24th at 10:00am, the library is hosting a Poetry Café via Zoom. This virtual cafe experience is an open mic, slam jam, poetry reading, coming together celebration of poetry.  Participants are encouraged to bring their favorite one-page poem, favorite cafe beverage or just come and listen.  The library will have exclusive local cafe zoom backgrounds to download and some great reading. Registration is required on the library events calendar for this event.

On April 29th at 5:30pm, join the library and The Poetry Crashers for a Facebook Premiere of The Poetry Crashers Game Show – a mash-up of Jeopardy meets The Hollywood Squares with local favorites, The Poetry Crashers, and three unassuming contestants. Participants interact and have fun with fellow viewers as they play along with the contestants to determine: “What Does That Poem Even Mean?!” We are partnering with The Sierra Poetry Festival for this fun Pop-Up Poetry event on Facebook.

Stop by the Madelyn Helling, Penn Valley and Truckee libraries this April for a chance to encounter typewriter poetry by Pioneersofourselves local poet Evelyn Schmelling! She will be coming to several library locations on random days with her typewriter in hand to type out original short poems for the public. Also throughout April, Madelyn Helling and Grass Valley library locations will have a poet tree with poems hanging from it for the public to take as part of the poem in your pocket celebration and haiku cat bookmarks and Instagram post will inspire the haiku poet in you.

There will also be grab bags available throughout the month. On April 12th, Bear River Library will be offering Origami Box Grab Bag, this take-home craft includes origami paper, sheets of inspirational words and directions on creating an origami box.  These bags are offered at the front of the library while supplies last. Also on April 12th, Penn Valley Library will be offering Poetry Haiku Grab Bag, this take-home craft will include a frame mat, and stickers.  These bags are offered at the front of the library while supplies last. Again on April 12th, Truckee Library will be offering Poemcrazy Grab Bag, this take-home craft includes a copy of the book Poemcrazy by Susan G. Wooldridge, and a journal with poetry prompts and stickers. These bags are offered at the front of the library while supplies last. On April 15th, the Madelyn Helling Library and Grass Valley Library will be offering Make A Tiny Accordion Poetry Book Grab Bag, this take-home craft will include book making supplies with instructions on poem writing. These bags are offered at the front of the library while supplies last. On April 19th, Bear River Library will be offering Poem in Your Pocket Day Grab Bag, this take-home craft will include paper, gel pen and ribbon to create poem scrolls.  These bags are offered at the front of the library while supplies last. Finally, on April 26th, Bear River Library will be offering a Paint Chip Poetry Grab Bag; this take-home craft will include paint chips and a gel pen.  These bags are offered at the front of the library while supplies last.

For more information, or to register for a program, visit the Events Calendar at mynevadacounty.com/library or call (530) 265-7050.