Learning to love poetry

A Poem A Day

Part of being a writer is developing a habit of reading and writing often, which isn’t always easy. This website provides a daily dose of poetry that helps you stay engaged without getting overwhelmed.

Oakland History Center

History can be an incredible inspiration for writing, and the Oakland History Center at the library contains rich archives that help unlock the city’s past. The room is often silent, which cultivates the perfect atmosphere for getting new ideas.

The Namesake

Reading a variety of styles is a necessary first step to becoming a stronger writer. Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake, which explores an Indian immigrant family’s fraught experience in America and is full of telling details and deft turns of phrase, is a personal favorite of ours.

“We Need Art Right Now. Here's how to get Into Poetry”

This NPR podcast shares some key tips for starting out as a poet. We’ve used these methods to shift our mindset from seeing poetry as something daunting to something fun.

Split This Rock

Poetry can be a tool for activism. Split This Rock is an organization that cultivates, teaches and celebrates poetry that bears witness to injustice and provokes social change. It offers youth programs, contests, opportunities to publish work and more.

Oakland Youth Poet Laureate Program

Young poets are wise, with an acute sense of justice. They tend toward community and away from ostracism, and they offer beauty with their words. Listening to these poets can help adults believe the world will be in good hands. The Oakland Youth Poet Laureate program is a great way to stay in touch with young voices or foster your creativity as a young poet.