The Howard County
I N
F O C U S
VOL.8, NO.4
F O R
P E O P L E
O V E R
So, after all is said and sometimes rhymed, just how important is poetry in today’s world? Here is what some prominent Howard County poets have to say. “Poetry matters today more than ever,” according to Ann Bracken. “Over and over, I’ve witnessed poetry serve as a natural vehicle for people to express secrets and longings, as well as deeply held beliefs.” The Columbia poet has offered writing workshops in places as diverse as community education centers and prisons. She
APRIL 2018
I N S I D E …
PHOTO BY DAVID HOBBY
Why poetry matters
5 0
More than 30,000 readers throughout Howard County
Expressing our inner essence By Robert Friedman Iambic pentameter, free verse, quatrains and a haiku or two will resound around Howard Community College on April 26, as students, local writers and prize-winning poets Marilyn Chin and Joseph Ross gather on the Columbia campus for the 10th annual Blackbird Poetry Festival. The all-day event, co-sponsored by HCC and HoCoPoLitSo (the Howard County Poetry and Literary Society), will be filled with student workshops, book sales and, of course, poetry readings. April has been designed National Poetry Month since 1996, and April 26 is nationally designated as Poem in Your Pocket Day. On that day, we are all urged to carry a poem in our pockets and share it with colleagues, students, significant others, passersby, and the like. Beware that the poetry police will be on duty at the HCC event, distributing “citations” to students and staff who are found to be without a poem in their pocket. On the other hand, the police will hand out rewards to those who carry a verse, according to HCC authorities. No further information could be attained by press time as to the specific penalties and rewards.
FREE
L E I S U R E & T R AV E L
Puerto Vallarta’s unique charms; plus, best ways to find companionship online, and what to do if your flight is canceled or delayed page 30
Poet Linda Joy Burke is pleased that there are an increasing number of venues where people can read and hear poetry. She is a Columbia Festival of the Arts Poetry Slam winner, and a 2013 Howard County Women’s Hall of Fame inductee. For those who want to hear and learn more about poetry, the Blackbird Poetry Festival will be held on April 26 at Howard Community College.
has learned that, through poetry, “Kids have talked about their lives in ways that are surprisingly deep, and incarcerated people share the same regrets and longings as all of us.” Bracken, who puts her age “on the right side of 60,” is the author of two poetry collections: No Barking in the Hallways:
Poems from the Classroom and The Altar of Innocence. Mike Clark, 78, answered whether poetry matters by asking: “Does your first love matter, your first born child, the death of a friend?” See POETRY FESTIVAL page 36
ARTS & STYLE
Sculptor injects humor into his works, crafting animals using many media and placing them in human situations page 35 TECHNOLOGY k Stores that keep track of you
4
FITNESS & HEALTH 7 k Why are men such kvetches? k Get the jump on spring allergies THE 50+ CONNECTION 17 k Newsletter from Howard County Office on Aging & Independence LAW & MONEY 25 k Five cheap stocks to consider k Start your own business ADVERTISER DIRECTORY
39
PLUS CROSSWORD, BEACON BITS, CLASSIFIEDS & MORE