Probably known to most White Plains residents as “Mr. Polanco,” since that is what students in his English classes at White Plains High School call him, Dennis Polanco is in fact much more than a teacher. He is a father, musician, and community leader who has great insights into our city.
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Our exciting Poetry Slam series continues on December 2nd at 7:00 p.m. with an Open Mic, Poetry Slam, and performance from guest poet Desiree Dallagiacomo. As always, our Slam will be hosted by Eric ZORK Alan. Desiree Dallagiacomo ranked 3rd at the 2014 Individual World Poetry Slam, 3rd at the 2015 Women of the World Poetry Slam, 3rd at the 2014 National Poetry Slam, and she is a Pushcart Prize nominee. She has traveled the country teaching and performing poetry. She has been a guest instructor at dozens of universities, including Dartmouth, Vanderbilt, and Columbia University. Her work has been
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Join us as we partner with ArtsWestchester to present The Duende Project and a special edition of the White Plains Library Poetry Slam as part of White Plains Jazz Fest 2015. This free event will take place on Saturday, September 26, from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM in the auditorium at the White Plains Public Library.
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Our exciting “1st Wednesday” series continues on July 1st at 7:00 p.m. with an Open Mic, Slam competition and performance from guest poet Gary Glazner. As always, our Poetry Slam will be co-hosted by local poet and slam-master Eric ZORK Alan. Glazner is the founder and Executive Director of the Alzheimer's Poetry Project (APP). The APP was the recipient of the 2013 Rosalinde Gilbert Innovations in Alzheimer’s Disease Caregiving Legacy Award. The APP was awarded the 2012 MetLife Foundation Creativity and Aging in America Leadership Award in the category of Community Engagement. PBS News Hour, NBC's “Today” show and NPR's
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Our Poetry Slam & Open Mic program this Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. features Venessa Marie Marco, a member of the 2013 Nuyorican National Slam Team, which placed third in the National Poetry Slam in Boston in August. She is an Afro-Caribbean writer who recently moved to New York to pursue her education in creative writing and anthropology. Come hear Venessa and share one of your poems with us. The program starts with an open mic session, and ends with a poetry slam, with our guest’s performance in between. To take part in the open mic or slam, please register at
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The Library's poetry slam team is competing in preliminary bouts at the 2013 National Poetry Slam in Boston this Tuesday and Thursday. Hostage, Eric ZORK Alan (slammaster), Nina Robins, and AJ won spots on the team by competing in our Poetry Slam Finals in May. Assistant slammaster LV (Laura Vookles) will also travel to Boston with the team. The White Plains Library Slam will be one of 72 teams from all over the United States and Canada who will take part in the preliminaries at seven venues in the Boston-Cambridge area. Twenty teams will advance to the semifinals on Thursday,
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The library will be holding our Poetry Slam Finals on Wednesday, May 15, at 6:30 p.m. The winners of this competition will make up our official 2013 White Plains/ Westchester Poetry Slam Team. Our team – the only one in Westchester County recognized by Poetry Slam International – plans to compete in the 2013 National Poetry Slam in Boston this August. Poets who have participated in three of our slams since last June and finished in the top three in at least one of them qualify to compete, but we can’t have a slam without an audience – which is
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“Inaugurated by the Academy of American Poets in 1996, National Poetry Month is now held every April, when schools, publishers, libraries, booksellers, and poets throughout the United States band together to celebrate poetry and its vital place in American culture. Thousands of organizations participate through readings, festivals, book displays, workshops, and other events.” – poets.org Next in our celebration of National Poetry Month, Professor Eleanor Ehrenkranz of Pace University will speak at the Library on Thursday, April 25, from 2-3:30 p.m. Dr. Ehrenkranz will read from and discuss her recently published anthology, “Explaining Life: The Wisdom of Modern Jewish Poetry
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In celebration of National Poetry Month, Professors Lee Schlesinger of Purchase College and Eleanor Ehrenkranz of Pace University will present free programs at the Library. Dr. Schlesinger returns on Sunday, April 7, from 2-4 PM, with a talk on ”The Power of Poetry and Literature in Troubled Times.” Dr. Schlesinger defends the value and meaning of poetry and literature in our stressful, technology-driven world, with examples of enduring works. Dr. Schlesinger is an Associate Professor of Literature in the School of Humanities at Purchase College where he received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. In addition to teaching,
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April is National Poetry Month! In celebration of poetry, we're offering two inspiring programs. We hope you'll join us for one or both. Professor Lee Schlesinger returns to the Library on Sunday afternoon, April 7, from 2:00-4:00 PM, with a timely talk on ”The Power of Poetry and Literature in Troubled Times.” Dr. Schlesinger defends the value and meaning of poetry and literature in our stressful, technology-driven world, with examples of enduring works that lift the spirit and illuminate the soul. (Special thanks to the Friends of White Plains Public Library for making this lecture possible.) Dr. Schlesinger is an
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Phone: 914-422-1400
Text: WPPL to 66746
Email: librarian@whiteplainslibrary.org
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