Whoo boy! March was the warmup, and now April is when things REALLY get going in the literary world! It’s National Poetry Month, and I actually want to start a little differently—with some ideas of how to celebrate!
How to celebrate National Poetry MOnth
So, yes, I know, poetry is not for everyone. There’s something about writing in general that makes people feel intimidated, and I think that’s especially true when you mention poetry. So whether you’re scared of poetry or whether it’s like the air you breathe, here are some ideas of ways to celebrate poetry this month!
Many people I know strive to write a poem a day through the month of April. If that feels intimidating, try for a poem a week! Or even just a poem in the entire month! Remember, it doesn’t have to be good—it just has to be done!
Read a poem a day, and that can be more accessible than you might think! All you have to do is search for #poetry on any major social media outlet, and you will find many people who post poems on the daily! (Maybe even some people who are trying to write a poem a day—ha!)
Read a collection of poetry. Maybe it’s a literary magazine or an anthology that has several poets’ works in one book (cough cough A Place for All Voices just dropped a few days ago cough cough) or a poet’s collection (like my recent favorite, Pauletta Hansel’s Heartbreak Tree)
Submit a poem for publication! I mean, why not? It’s not as hard as you think! Check out Chill Subs to see who’s taking stuff right now, find an outlet that fits you, follow their submission guidelines, and boom. Submitting a poem usually takes me anywhere from five to thirty minutes, depending on the call for submissions and what I have available. If you’re feeling REALLY ambitious this year, maybe try for a number of submissions! Five? Ten? Fifteen? Thirty? Numbers-wise, the more you submit, the more likely you are to get published!
Listen to some live poetry at an open mic. Might I suggest Poetry in the Boro? Check out the list of events below for more info.
If you’re feeling brave, perform some of your own poetry at an open mic! Sign yourself up for the open mic at PitB! I promise you, the first time is the hardest, so after that, it only gets easier. And PitB is a really inviting audience—great for a first time!
Poets.org is doing a lot to celebrate, and you can even get a free poster! There will also be a virtual gala on April 28th, if that’s your thing. More info at Poets.org/npm
If nothing else, you can strengthen some of your poetry muscles by listening and observing more. Pay attention to the sounds and rhythms of words and sentences around you, notice moments that feel metaphorically resonant, or even just note beautiful things in your day-to-day life. This is a large part of what poets do before any words even get put to paper.
So what events are happening where you might be able to celebrate poetry? Or just words and writers in general? Well I’m glad you asked …!
Upcoming events
Wednesday, April 8th and 22nd, 6 PM (dinner at 5), at St. Mark’s Methodist church (1267 N. Rutherford Blvd, M’boro): Poetry workshops with Kory Wells and me!
This is not normally something I would share, but the host, Barry Culbertson, gave me permission to invite you all! This small group will be exploring poetry through Wednesday nights this month, and Kory and I will be there as a guests! I’ll be there on the 8th, and Kory will be there on the 22nd. We’ll be talking about some of our favorite poems, how we got into writing poetry, and Poetry in the Boro; and of course we’ll be writing some poetry too! If you’d like to join, contact Barry at barrygundo@gmail.com.
Friday, April 10th, at 6 PM, at Washington Theatre at Patterson Park (521 Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd, M’boro): Sixth Grade Spelling Bee sponsored by Read to Succeed
Come see the top sixth graders from the area compete for top speller and support Read to Succeed!
Sunday, April 12th, 3-5 PM, at The Dapper Owl Coffee Pub (2412 E. Main St, M’boro): Writers’ Mingle, featuring Brian Seadorf
If you’re looking for a fun place to come meet some word-loving weirdos, look no further! Come get a coffee, play some writing games, settle down in a quiet space to work, listen to an inspirational message, or just come chat and talk shop! All genres, all levels, and all ages welcome! More info here!
Thursday, April 16th, 4:30 PM, at the MTSU Sam Ingram Building (2269 Middle Tennessee Blvd, M’boro): In Process Spring Fete Day 1 with Patricia Henley
Celebrate the final events of In Process with the Spring Fete! Two two-day festival kicks off with this talk from multigenre writer Patricia Henley, which is free and open to the public! Check it out!
Friday, April 17th, 9 AM-7 PM, at MTSU Sam Ingram Building: In Process Spring Fete Day 2
And the second day of the Spring Fete is a come-and-go marathon of staged readings by student playwrights! It’s a good time, so come check it out!
Friday, April 17th, 3-4 PM, at Myrtle Glanton Lord Library (521 Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd, M’boro): Poet-Tea Party
Come celebrate National Poetry Month in the most highfalutin way—with an afternoon tea party! Click the image for more info.
Saturday, April 18th, 9-11 AM, at Smyrna Public Library (400 Enon Springs Rd, Smyrna): Friends of Smyrna Library Run to Read
Support FOSL and the Smyrna Library while getting your body moving! Click the image for more info.
Saturday and Sunday, April 18th and 19th, 10 AM-5 PM, at Smyrna Event Center (100 Sam Ridley Pkwy): Once Upon a Page, hosted by The Spine
After you’ve done your running, hop over to the SEC to join The Spine Bookshop for an incredible two-day celebration of books, storytelling, and the people who bring stories to life. There will be 50+ authors, narrators, vendors, and panelists gathering for a weekend filled with conversation, creativity, and community. Tickets are available at thespinebookshop.com.
Saturday, April 18th, 1-3 PM, at MTSU: MTSU Write workshop with me!
Yep, you read that right! And that’s my picture! I’ll be leading a workshop for MTSU Write that talks all about riding the line between languages, niches, and genres in writing—and why that may or may not work for you. It should be a good time, and I’d love to see you there! The event is free, but registration is requested ahead of time. Click the image for more info.
Sunday, April 19th, 1-3 PM, at The Dapper Owl: Book Bedazzling with The Grand Exchange
Now this sounds fun! If you’re looking for something crafty to do with your books, come to Dapper Owl to get a coffee and bling up some book! Bring $15 and a book, and the team from TGE will provide the rest.
Wedneday, April 22nd, 10 AM-7 PM, at The Grand Exchange (21 S Public Sq, M’boro): Earth Day at The Grand Exchange
I love a bookstore that wants to celebrate Earth Day! Bring five unwanted, undamaged books for 20% off anything in the store and other sales. All used book profits will go to Read to Succeed!
Thursday, April 23rd, 7 PM, at The Grand Exchange: Boro Book Club with Lindsey Richardson
Local author Lindsey Richardson will be talking about her novel Godsbane and will be sharing about her new novella, Deathsbane.
Saturday, April 25th, 2 PM at Oaklands Mansion (900 N Maney Ave, M’boro): Rutherford Races to Read
Get ready for RRR, a family-friendly derby-style event full of fun and excitement! Mark you calendars and join us as sponsors to race inflatable horses with literary inspired names. Click the image for more info!
Saturday, April 25th: Independent Bookstore Day / Middle Tennessee Indie Bookstore Crawl
It’s National Independent Bookstore Day, and there are lots of events happening to celebrate! All over middle Tennessee, you can be part of the Middle Tennessee Indie Bookstore Crawl (featuring Grumpy Bookpeddler in Murfreesboro and The Spine in Smyrna!), but The Grand Exchange will also be having special sales and goodies all day long. Click the image above for more info about the bookstore crawl.
Saturday, April 25th: 10th Annual Tennessee Poets Day in Franklin: A National Poetry Month Celebration
No, it’s not in Murfreesboro, but Poetry in the Boro’s own Kory Wells is the keynote for this all-day celebration hosted by Poets From The Neighborhood (PFTN). The celebration will be on Saturday, April 25, 2026 from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Williamson County Public Library's Main Branch at 1314 Columbia Avenue in Franklin, TN 37064. All events are free and open to the public.
Sunday, April 26th, 6 PM (doors at 5:30), at Dapper Owl: Poetry in the Boro with feature Wes Houp
It’s our monthly poetry reading and open mic, and I am personally very excited about this one! Wes Houp was my Modern English Usage and Grammar professor at MTSU back in grad school (and, yes, I actually really enjoyed that class), and he’s been writing poetry for a long time too! His first full-length collection, recently out, won the James Baker Hall Book Award, and he’ll be reading from that collection. Get a coffee, listen to some poetry from Wes and other local poets, and maybe even share some of your own work too! It’s always a great time. Check out the details here on poetryintheboro.org.
Phew! And that’s it!! Lots to do—and there may even be more! Make sure to keep up with the socials of your local libraries and bookstores to see what they have going on in case I missed anything, and if you have any events you’d like to highlight in an upcoming blog, you can email me at taffetachimewrites@gmail.com. Happy Poetry Month, Happy Independent Bookstore Day, and Happy April! See you all next month!
