'Poetry of Conservation' poet Pat Riviere-Seel to conduct children's writing workhop, keynote open mic

Acclaimed poet Pat Riviere-Seel will visit the Asheboro Public Library during the week of June 25 to conduct a writing workshop for children and headline a poetry “open mic.”

Her appearances are part of The Poetry of Conservation, a partnership among the North Carolina Zoo, the Randolph County Public Library and the Randolph Arts Guilds that places poets in residence at the zoo to celebrate the beauty and wonder of nature in verse.

School-age children are invited to “Tiger, Where Did You Get Those Stripes?”, a free poetry writing workshop at 10 a.m. Wednesday, June 27 at the Asheboro library.

“Wild animals (domestic ones too!) and places are full of mystery and magic. Have you ever wondered how something got to be the way it is? What would you ask the tiger? Or the bear?  In this workshop we’ll use poetry to talk to the animals and explore their mystery,” Riviere-Seel says.

Local poets are invited to join Riviere-Seel and read their work – especially nature themed work –during an open mic at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 28, at the Asheboro library. Following the open mic, Riviere-Seel will share her work and answer questions.

The open mic is free and the public is invited.

Riviere-Seel teaches in UNC-Asheville’s Great Smokies Writing Program and is the author of two poetry collections, The Serial Killer’s Daughter (2009) which won the NC Literary and Historical Society’s Roanoke Chowan Award for Poetry and No Turning Back Now (2004) which was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She earned her MFA in Poetry from Queens University of Charlotte and is a past president of the North Carolina Poetry Society.

The Poetry of Conservation is a program that will bring three poets to the Zoo through September for week-long residencies to explore nature and conservation in verse, conduct readings and workshops at the zoo and in the community, and to select lines of nature-related verse to be sculpturally installed in public areas of the zoo.

Riviere Seel’s library visits also are part of “Dream Big: Read!”, the library’s Summer Reading Program for children, and “Between the Covers,” the Summer Reading Program for adults. For more information and complete schedules, visit www.randolphlibrary.org/summerreading.html

Teen events begin, more during Randolph library Summer Reading Program week of June 18

Teen events kick off, and adults can learn about container gardening and ebooks, as “Dream Big: Read!”, the Randolph County Public Library Summer Reading Program, continues during the week of June 18. Meanwhile, storytimes and other activities for children continue, as Ronald McDonald visits two libraries and two libraries host family films.

As part of “Own the Night,” the Teen Summer Reading Program, teens are invited to make zombie felties and monster masks at 2 p.m. Thursday, June 21, at the Asheboro library. At the Randleman library, the Mad Science for Teens series gets underway with Random Science at 4 p.m. Wednesday, June 20.

"Between the Covers,” the Adult Summer Reading Program, offers Container Gardening with Master Gardeners Peggy Heath and Barbara Luther at 3 p.m. Tuesday, June 19, at the Randleman library. The Asheboro library will provide ebook and e-reader basics with “Ebooks – On the Go!” at 3 p.m. Tuesday, June 19.

Children’s programs continue at all libraries. Ronald McDonald will promote reading at the Liberty library at 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 19 and at Seagrove at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 19.  The Asheboro school-age program will feature author Midge Noble at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., and Randleman will host Cold Blooded Animal Encounters at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, June 21.

The Archdale library will encounter Nocturnal Animals at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 21, and host Kindermusic at 10:30 a.m. the same day.

Movies include A Bug’s Life at 7 p.m. Friday, June 22, at the Asheboro library and Puss in Boots at 4 p.m. Thursday, June 21, at the Randleman library.

A complete schedule for all libraries and all age groups can be found at www.randolphlibrary.org/summerreading.html, visit your local library or call 318-6804.

The Summer Reading Program is sponsored by the Friends of the Library supported in part by a North Carolina Arts Council Grassroots Grant via the Randolph Arts Guild. Local sponsors also include Kiwanis International, Weston’s Feed and Seed, Something Different Restaurant and Advisors Financial Center.

Prizes, reading awards, programs or program support are provided as of this writing by Asheboro Copperheads, Big Daddy’s Pizza of Ramseur, Chick-fil-A, CommunityOne Bank, Domino’s Pizza of Ramseur, Greensboro Children’s Museum, Hardees, Energizer, First Bank of Archdale, Lowes Foods,  North Carolina Aviation Museum, McDonalds, North Carolina Zoological Park, PNC Bank of Ramseur, SciWorks, Sheetz, Walmart and Wendy’s.