By Julia Beauregard
Hometown Weekly Editor
April is National Poetry Month; where poets and poetry lovers come together to celebrate poets and their craft. To celebrate National Poetry Month, the Walpole Public Library hosted literary performer, educator, and poet Reggie Gibson.
Gibson’s performance, “Well, Here We Are…” featured poems, stories, and “brain-droppings” that Gibson has created over his literary career. He describes this presentation as “an evening of story, spoken word poetry, song, and other almost-relevant musings about what it means to be here (whatever that is).”
Gibson began the performance with a slam poem about the Big Bang and the creation of the universe. He encouraged attendees to clap along to the beat he created on the podium. Throughout the evening, Gibson touched on a variety of subjects such as parenthood, children as they are growing older, religion, racism, politics, the importance of music, and the post 9/11 world.
At the end of the performance, Gibson opened the floor to questions and was able to discuss his career, as a poet, a slam poet, and an educator. Gibson teaches creative writing at Clark University and teaches in the Liberal Arts department at Berkley College of Music.
Gibson has lectured and performed in Cuba, Europe, and the United States and even represented the U.S. when he competed for and received both the Absolute Poetry Award in Monfalcone, Italy, and the Europa en Versi Award for performance poetry in LaGuardia di Coma, Italy. Gibson is a former National Poetry Slam Champion and he has appeared on Radio Boston, NPR programs, On Point, and HBO’s Def Poetry Jam, as well as being featured in several Ted X events.
According to the Walpole Public Library, “He's received the Walker Scholarship for Poetry from the Provincetown Fine Arts Work Center, multiple Mass Cultural Council Awards, the Lexington Education Foundation Grant, a YMCA Writer's Fellowship, and the Brother Thomas Fellowship from The Boston Foundation. He's served as a consultant for both the National Endowment for the Arts How Art Works' initiative, and 'The Mere Distinction of Color' - an exhibit at James Madison's Montpelier examining the legacy of slavery and the U.S. constitution.”
With his impressive resume and lively performance, his performance was the perfect way to honor and celebrate National Poetry Month.
