Poetry is a very human way to communicate
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — Putnam’s first poet laureate, Aubrey Waz-Grant, thinks being poet laureate is a “beautiful opportunity to help encourage people to experiment with poetry.”
“I think this is an opportunity to really humanize the experience of poetry and encourage more people to play with language.”
She believes that people have been in this epidemic of loneliness. “I think we’re starting to come out of it and I think poetry is a way to really communicate sentiment in a pithy way.”
Poetry provides people a new way to think about things.
Three poets applied for the two-year position. Carmine Angeloni, chair of the Poet Laureate Committee, told Waz-Grant the committee was “greatly impressed with your packet and your interview. You are articulate, engaging and extremely talented and the committee is confident you will be successful in this role.”
Waz-Grant has much in mind. She’d like to expand on a current poetry and yoga retreat she runs. She had done a poetry slam in Woodstock when she was a kid, “so I would really love to be able to bring that back.” She said she’s also reached out to the Learning in Retirement group about doing a poetry session with them. She’s looking to “just try to continue to leverage our local area, so maybe doing a walk along the River Trail.”
Her love of poetry began when she was young. Her great aunt was a poet and gave Waz-Grant poetry books. “I think that that has always been how my brain has worked. I think it’s a very interesting way to communicate thoughts that maybe you are not even aware of.” Poetry helps people become aware of other levels
She published a book called “On the Inside” when she spent the first 12 weeks of COVID-19 in Seeley Brown taking care of her grandmother.
Waz-Grant is really passionate about the community engagement opportunities that being poet laureate will bring. “It was a really beautiful way to merge my love for poetry with supporting the local community in the arts.”
You can contact Waz-Grant at:
caption, page 3
Putnam's new poet laureate, Aubrey Waz-Grant, center, flanked by Carmine Angeloni, left, and Mayor Barney Seney. Linda Lemmon photo.