Members of the Kauai “Live Poets’ Society” will present their first live poetry program for the public, “Life is in the Word,” at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Lihue Public Library.
The poems expressing individual experiences in fresh imagery will be as diverse in subject and tone as their poets, a group of Kauai residents ranging from students and writers through social workers, makers, doers, moms, teachers and more who have been meeting together to practice “the art and craft” of writing poems and the enjoyment of poetry-writing, reading, and listening — since the society formed.
LPS members invite the public to an evening of original poetry, their way of giving back to the library and to librarian Carolyn Larson, a special form of thank you for sponsorship and support. Some “fun” involving the audience is planned for the free program, suitable for all ages.
A poem, like any form of drama or story that presents a distinctive viewpoint, reflects what is known and experienced of the joys and challenges of life as seen through the lens of the writer-creator.
“Listening to the voice of a poet or storyteller offers the chance to experience the written word come alive, a dynamic and different path to enjoying the rhythm and music — and feeling — expressed,” said Dawn Kawahara, Kauai writer and poet, and long-term member of the National Federation of Poetry Societies, who founded the LPS in August, 2018, and hosts the monthly meetings in partnership with the Lihue library.
“Rather than pure literal understanding, the sharing of emotional content and sound make hearing poems presented aloud another type of experience from opening a book of favorite poems to read off the page,” she added.
Spotlighting several of the LPS members of the group participating this initial round, those who attend this coming Monday’s “Life is in the Word” reading will be hearing, among others, from:
w Steve “Stream” Backinoff, long involved with Kauai Poetry Fests and “FunShops,” community music and dance, and health and massage;
w Joy Acey (Frelinger), a published children’s poet with poems in many of the “Poetry Friday Anthologies” from Pomelo Press, who has published her adult poetry in numerous small journals and has won many prizes in poetry competitions and conducts poetry workshops for poets of all ages;
w Nicole Street, who holds a master’s degree in fine arts, teaches English and helps run Academic Support Services at Kauai Community College in addition to leading yoga classes for the county and enjoying painting.
The Kauai “Live Poets’ Society” is a gathering of poets and poetry lovers to improve their poetry writing and reading and to enjoy hearing and creating original poems. Hosted by Kawahara, dba TropicBird Press, in partnership with the Lihue Public Library, the group meets monthly on Monday evenings. The next regular meeting of the LPS will be on Feb. 4, 6:30 p.m., in the Lihue library conference room.
