The power of community supporting the art of poetry is ever present at Word’s annual POETRY ALIVE event. It’s an ideal opportunity to spend time with a variety of poetic voices. Please join us on Saturday, October 25, 2024 at 4:00 p.m. when we welcome the following poets to our stage: Kathleen Ellis, UMO Honors teacher and coordinator of Poets/Speak!; Dave Morrison, musician and author of 17 poetry collections; and Maya Williams former Poet Laureate of Portland, this year’s Ashley Bryant Fellow, and slam poet finalist. 

Free event

It is difficult to talk about grief, and it can even be more difficult to write through grief. Participants, led by poet Maya Williams, will examine how grief is related to mental health, and how poems might be written and revised during hard times. Limited enrollment

Pre-registration required

Join us for the launch of Word 2024 with the annual Word.Art exhibit of visual art that includes or relates to the written word. Featured work is by Kristie Billings, Marechal Brown, Stu Kestenbaum and Susan Webster, Buzz Masters, Claire Millikin, Leslie Moore, Margaret Rizzio, Amy Tingle, Caroline Sulzer, Heidi Daub, and Patricia Wheeler. Spitfire, Millikin, and Billings will read during the opening at 6 pm, joined by Elizabeth Kirshner, one of two winners of the first Word Festival Writing Contest.

Free event