blueprints

184 | lee Briccetti
presence for the art? How will you get the word out? Essentially, it comes
down to this: What is the work? Who will do it? What will it cost? For each
constituent piece of the plan, ask yourself what your first three actions need
to be. Plot these on a timeline, and you will have the beginning of a plan.
By making a place for poetry to be shared in community, people make
a home together in language, and they find new sources of affiliation, creativity,
and knowledge. The following checklist can provide a jumping-off
point for coming up with your own poetry recipe for your community.
* * *
Excerpted from The Poetry in The Branches Source Book.
CHECKLIST
Poetry in The Branches: The Original Model
This is an outline of the model that Poets House brought to New york City’s
public libraries beginning in 1995. The basic formula of poetry programming for
teens and adults, acquisitions and display, and ongoing staff training is still going
strong in many of the original locations. As you consider how to duplicate or
adapt the model to your own circumstances, remember to adjust the acquisitions
and special-needs budgets to reflect today’s costs.
Programs
In working with libraries, Poets House has used programming as an audience
development tool, providing at least three programs for an adult audience at each
site annually. If you are borrowing from the model to create your own initiative,
you will need to decide how many programs you can sustain. (We have found
three to be the bare minimum in creating visibility for the art.) Then, for each
program—reading, open mic, or special book discussion, poetry “memory
circle”—you will need to engage in the following behind-the-scenes activities:
• identify poets
• coordinate invitations, travel, lodging, and fees
• confirm your arrangements in writing
• coordinate publicity and flyers; list each event on the system-wide season
calendar