Making Plans for Poetry Month

April is National Poetry Month -- hurrah! And it's just around the corner. So it's time to make your poetry plans. Here's some things you should know.

First off, at Broadway Books, we get absolutely potty for poetry year-round, but especially in April. And a big part of that craziness is our annual poetry sale, in which our entire poetry section is on sale for the entire month. Yes, you heard me right. Here's how it works: buy one book of poetry at regular price, and you'll get a second volume of poetry (of equal or lesser value) for HALF PRICE! Repeat as desired, all month long (no pink card punches, however). This is a great opportunity to replenish your own poetry shelves and choose some wonderful gifts for cherished friends.

We also have a couple of poetry events taking place in April. On Tuesday, April 7th, at 7 pm, Judith Arcana and Judith Barrington, two Portland poets and friends of the late, great Grace Paley, will read from Paley's posthumously published collection of poetry, Fidelity, as well as read some of their own pieces. They will also play a recording of Grace reading one of her best-loved poems. On Thursday, April 16th, also at 7 pm, Beverly Butterworth, former reporter and columnist for The Oregonian, will read from her second collection of poems, Where the Blackberries Grew. Check out our Web site for more details on these and other April readings.

Finally, the publisher Random House is offering you the gift of a poem a day in April. Just click here to register, and each day, through the miracle of technology, you will be sent a poem to savor from such poets as Mary Jo Salter, W.S. Merwin, Rudyard Kipling, Sharon Olds, Langston Hughes, and Katha Pollitt. Check it out!