Poetry pop-ups come to U.S. National Parks
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Limón helps unveil the inspirational new picnic table. Photo: Mike Deehan/Axios.
A picnic table in Provincetown is part of an effort to connect major works of American poetry with the natural settings that inspired them.
Why it matters: The "You Are Here: Poetry in Parks" effort, led by U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón, is a collaboration between the National Parks Service and the Library of Congress to get literary Americans out into nature.
- Studies show a link between time spent outdoors in nature and mental well-being.
Seven national parks will host new installations displaying some of the best American poetry:
- Mary Oliver's "Can You Imagine?" was unveiled last week on a table at the Cape Cod National Seashore.
Oliver's poem was likely written or conceived near the new installation at a trailhead that leads into the woods that separate the town from the Atlantic.
- The poet lived and worked in Provincetown for 50 years before dying in 2019.
- A park ranger told guests at the installation unveiling that Oliver would hide pencils in the trees along the trail for when inspiration struck.
Limón has her own connection to the sand dunes and forests of Provincetown at the very tip of Cape Cod.
- She first came to P-Town for an artist's fellowship shortly after 9/11.
- "This place really allowed me to heal," she said.
Jean Valentine's "The valley" will be on display at Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio. Other featured poems include:
- June Jordan's "Ecology" at Everglades National Park in Florida
- Lucille Clifton's "the earth is a living thing" at Great Smoky Mountains National Park
- "Uppermost" by A.R. Ammons at Mount Rainier National Park in Washington
- Francisco X. Alarcón's "Never Alone" at Redwood National and State Parks in California
- "Na:nko Ma:s Cewagi/Cloud Song" by Ofelia Zepeda at Saguaro National Park in Arizona
A poetry anthology titled "You Are Here: Poetry in the Natural World" will include works by contemporary American poets considering the kinds of natural scenes available at the country's diverse collection of national parks.
- As laureate, Limón was hand-picked by the Librarian of Congress to promote and expand the audience for poetry in the U.S.
What they're saying: "What poetry can do is connect us to our attention," Limón told Axios.
- "It's making us pay closer attention, and to be willing to be shifted by opening us up so that we notice more deeply," she said.
The bottom line: Limón wants visitors to contemplate the iconic poems featured on the installations and to try their hand at writing their own while enjoying the National Park scenery.