West Virginia University at Parkersburg will celebrate National Poetry Month with three campus events in April. All events are free to attend and open to the public.

On Wednesday, April 3, WVU Parkersburg President Chris Gilmer and long-time adjunct instructor Peg Clifford will discuss why they write poetry, how poetry connects us to one another, and read from their original works. The event will take place from 12:20 to 12:50 p.m. in room 2209.

A poetry reading by WVU Parkersburg students in instructor Peg Clifford’s public speaking class is scheduled for Monday, April 15, from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. in the student lounge.

West Virginia poet Jonathan Minton will read from his new book titled, “Technical Notes for Bird Government,” on Monday, April 29, from 12:20 to 12:50 p.m. in the college theater.

Minton lives in central West Virginia, where he is the director of the Honors Program and associate professor of English at Glenville State College. His chapbooks include “Lost Languages” (Long Leaf Press) and “In Gesture” (Dyad Press). His poetry and reviews have appeared in the Asheville Poetry Review, Drunken Boat, Coconut, Eratio, Columbia Poetry Review, Reconfigurations, Free Verse, among other journals, and in the anthologies “Oh One Arrow” (Flim Forum), “Poems for Peace” (Structa Press) and “Crazed by the Sun” (Cyberwit Press). He edits the journal Word For/Word.

“Poetry has always been a way for people to document their eras, reach out to others in the community and beyond, and express an enormous range of thoughts and emotions,” said Dr. Sandra Kolankiewicz, associate professor of English, WVU Parkersburg. “The poet speaks not only for the individual self, but the humanity that we all share.”

National Poetry Month is known as the “largest literary celebration in the world.” Founded in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets, this month is dedicated to increasing awareness of the genre.

For more information, contact Dr. Sandra Kolankiewicz at 304-424-8297 or skolanki@wvup.edu.