East 2012 Black Poetry Day, Plattsburgh Library

Attribution: 

Stanley A. Ransom, Project Director

At this year's Black Poetry Day at the Plattsburg Library in Plattsburgh, New York, poet Charles Fort read from his book, We Did Not Fear the Father. Demonstrating the mastery of his craft, he ranged over many forms including sonnets, villanelles, prose poems, blank verse, haiku, and others.  Fort's poems were sometimes dramatic, sometimes emotional, and his imagery was exciting.  Thanks to the grant from Poets & Writers, we were able to afford to have this renowned poet come to our library and read to the nearly ninety audience members that attended. We were pleased to be able to schedule his reading on October 17th, the 301st anniversary of the birth of Jasper Hammon of Long Island, the first Black poet to publish his own verses.