Battle of the Most Bizarre at Sharon Forks and Hampton Park Libraries

When you think of endangered animals, what is the first animal that pops into your mind? It's most likely a panda, a polar bear, or another cute and cuddly animal. But what about the not-so-cute animals like the Wolffish or the Uaraki? 

Throughout April, visitors at the Sharon Forks Library and the Hampton Park Library had the opportunity to vote on their favorite “Most Bizarre” animal. The competition included 8 animals from 4 categories with the Giant Asian Softshell Turtle coming out on top as champion for Sharon Forks and the Red Handfish as Hampton Park’s champion. All of the 8 animals are listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and have a status of Vulnerable, Endangered, or Critically Endangered. 

April is National Poetry Month! Experience Blackout Poetry!

What is Blackout Poetry? 

Blackout poetry is the creation of a new, original poem by taking a page of text and blacking out or erasing most of the words and phrases of the original text. The words left will make a new poem. Blackout poetry is also called “found poetry.”

How to Write Blackout Poetry

Find a page of text, such as a newspaper article, an old book, or a magazine.

Skim the page of text or passage you have chosen and look for interesting words. See if you notice a theme or topic.

Underline or circle the word(s) or phrase(s) you wish to keep before blacking out anything.

Black out the rest of the words on the page. 

More Ideas 

Use a different color or a different material. Use a purple crayon to black out the words you don’t want. Or use a gold pen. 

Draw a picture. Before blacking out the words, draw an image over the words. When you color in the illustration, keep the words you want and blackout (or block color) the rest of the text around the illustration. 

Congratulations! You’ve made a blackout poem!

You can also create your own blackout poetry online on the New York Times website!

Unreadable: Podcast Transcript - April 2024

In our April episode of Unreadable, Ross speaks with Benjamin Herold about his book Disillusioned: Five Families and the Unraveling of America's Suburbs, which follows five families in different areas of the United States, including Gwinnett County, and examines their experiences living in suburbia and their experiences with suburban school systems. 

Benjamin Herold is a education journalist, who has reported for Education Week, PBS NewsHour, NPR, the Hechinger Report, Huffington Post, and the Public School Notebook. He has a master's degree in urban education from Temple University in Philadelphia, where he lives with his family.

Join us for an author talk with Benjamin Herold at the Sharon Forks Library on Saturday, May 4, 2024 at 11:00 AM.

Local Author Spotlight: Dr. Kudo Eresia-Eke, Author of 25 Golden Words Vol 1: Inspirational Poems for Wisdom and Freedom

 

The Right Decision

When you have made the right decision

In spite of ego

In spite of self

A peace descends

And a joy dances

In your heart. 

From 25 Golden Words Vol 1 by Kudo Eresia-Eke

Dr. Kudo Eresia-Eke is an inspirational writer, teacher, and lyrical performance artist from Nigeria. Over the last few years, Sharon Forks library staff and patrons have gotten to know him better as Kudo, the friendly, soft-spoken, and contemplative poet who visits the library regularly to compose poetry.

Dr. Eresia-Eke’s poetry collection, 25 Golden Words Vol 1 was released in 2022 and his latest collection of poetry 25 Golden Words Vol 2 was released as an eBook this month. Both collections are filled with inspiring poems of precisely twenty-five words. While most of the poems have spiritual themes, others focus on everyday matters. 

Staff Picks for National Poetry Month

Happy National Poetry Month! To celebrate, we’re recommending one of our staff member’s favorite poetry books for adults, both modern and classic. 

Some Things I Still Can't Tell You: Poems by Misha Collins 

In his debut poetry book, actor, activist, and writer Misha Collins ruminates on daily observations and musings, filled with moments of reflection and a love letter to simple joys. This New York Times bestseller is full of wit and heart, conveying the subtle vulnerability of being human through a lens of simplicity.

The Collected Poems by Sylvia Plath

By the time Sylvia Plath passed in 1963, she had written nearly 300 poems to put into this collection. This book received a Pulitzer Prize, making her the first author to receive the honor after death. Readers follow her journey from an early poet to her eventual shift to a more experimental tone. Moving, raw, and honest, her words connect with your emotional core.

I Would Leave Me If I Could by Halsey

In her debut poetry book, singer Halsey writes about her various doomed relationships, experiences with fame, and the nuances of mental illness. Similar to the lyricism found in her songs, her poetry resonates with emotional depth and power, challenging established social structures and exploring the highs and lows of her bipolar disorder.

The Collected Poems of Emily Dickinson by Emily Dickinson

Despite her reclusive nature, Emily Dickinson’s poems reveal an independent and spirited woman who saw the world from a unique perspective. While she never published any poetry during her lifetime, her writing became legendary years after her passing. Her insightful views on life, nature, death, and a sense of self are relatable even over a century after her death.

Britt Poteet

Youth Specialist

 

Come and Write Together

Are you a writer in need of new ideas and new friends? Join us at the Cumming Library for Write Together and work alongside fellow writers in a setting similar to a café - minus the coffee! Drop-in any time on Monday, April 22 between 6:30–8:30 p.m. for a self-directed writing session.