American History in many forms
Gretchen Fletcher's poetry has been published in numerous journals and anthologies including upstreet, Chattahoochee Review, Inkwell, The Mid-American Poetry Review, and Poetry as Spiritual Practice. She won the Poetry Society of America’s Bright Lights, Big Verse competition and was projected on the Jumbotron as she read her poem in Times Square. One of her poems was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Early civilizations had no written history but gave the job of passing along the oral history to people who found that the easiest way to remember all the dates and names and places and events was to make the stories rhyme and have a beat or rhythm. This was the beginning of poetry.
When Miller Williams was asked by President Clinton to write a poem for his inauguration in 1997, he wrote:
We have memorized America,
how it was born and who we have been and where.
In ceremonies and silence we say the words,
telling the stories, singing the old songs.
This book tells the stories of American history through different forms of poetry which are like our old songs.”
Hebden's Bridges
The Origami Poems Project is thrilled to have been part of the Hebden Bridge's summer 2017 Arts festival. The palm-sized microchaps were made available at this multi-faceted gathering during the event from 23rd June to 2nd July and beyond.
Teacher, compere, performer and poet, Winston Plowes spends his days fine-tuning background noise and rescuing discarded words. Furthermore, the poet lives in a floating home in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire UK!
Its Time to Thrive
Troop 2025 Chariho
We received an email in March from Assistant Troop Leader, Jennifer Basile. Jennifer and her daughters had visited the Origami Poems display ('manned' by Lynnie Gobeille) at the Charlestown Farmers' Market! She asked the OPP for help with the cadettes' Book Artist Badge.
The four girls working on the badge wrote a total of 6 poems about scouting and drew a cover! We hope this helps them get their badge. Please send us a photo when you do!
