If You Gotta Ask, You'll Never Know!

"If you gotta ask, you'll never know!" Those were the words with which Louis Armstrong replied to the question, "What is jazz?"

I'm tempted to reply in kind to the question, "What is poetry?" Although, no one has asked me for my thoughts on the matter.

That's probably a good thing, for if someone was to ask, I wouldn't know. To me, it's the "black box" of literature in that I'm often unsure as to what makes one poem "good" and another "bad." Is it the imagery? Is it the rythym? Is it the rhyme (scheme)? Is it some combination thereof? What it is, is a mystery...until I hear a poem I like.

That, I think, was what Mr. Armstrong was getting at with his retort to the jazz question. To "know" jazz, you have to give it a listen and let your mind and body respond to it. That is, you have to experience it.

The same is true with poetry, and on June 4, the College Park Community Library (CPCL) is going to give you the chance to do just that. On that date, we're kicking off our 2012 Summer Reading Series, and we've got two accomplished writers--Patricia Valdata & Elisavietta Ritchie --coming to read their work.

So, if you like poetry, or you think you like poetry but aren't sure, and experience the artform for yourself. It's a free event, so you've got nothing to lose. Hope to see you there!