I'm planning a poetry program for teens that's going to be held at the end of this month. I did one last year and it was relatively easy to put together so I volunteered to do it again this year. I've been really trying to focus more on reference/adult services since starting my full time position here but somehow I still keep finding myself gravitating towards teen services too. Anyway, was knocking off some of the detail work for the program today, like contacting the english teachers and librarians at the high school and printing out flyers/posters, etc. The format for this years program is pretty much going to be the same as last years, only this time we've invited a well known published poet and playwright living in our community called Morris McCorvey. He isn't going to read his own poetry but some of his favorites from other poets. He's currently director of our Westside Community Center, very busy man and hard to get a hold of. I was needing to get some biographical information about him and rather than play phone tag for a few days I decided to give google a try. I came across a wonderful video with Morris in it that was made by a student at a local Christian University. The video was made for Black History month but he still talks about poetry, how it influenced him in his early childhood and even recites a poem at the beginning of the video. I've known Morris on a semi-personal level for a few years (I used to babysit his kids when I was in college)and this is the first time I've actually heard him recite poetry. He's always been a man with presence and his voice definitely reflects that. Can't wait to hear him recite at our poetry night.


Morris McCorvey, Poet & Playwright from OKWUeagle on Vimeo.

Speaking of Black History Month, our reference department recently ordered and recieved the eight volume African American National Biography set. Raya Kuzyk did a wonderful article in LJ highlighting the endeavor by coeditors Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham to bring to fruition what turned out to be a major research project. As was noted by Morris in his interview, historians and the general public have long ignored the many contributions to the world that have been made by African Americans. Instead we focus more on slavery and the Civil Rights movement which are all important topics but African American history is far richer than that. You have only to browse through this eight volume set to figure that out.

I think what I enjoy most about this series is that the entries actually read like biographies, instead of encyclopedic entries with biographical information. They provide more intimate details, provide more insight into a persons life and influences. Take for example the following entry on famous jazz drummer Rashied Ali:

"His talented pianist aunt was asked by the famous bandleader Lionel Leo Hampton to tour with thim, but as she was not yet finished with school her grandmother would not allow it. However, Ali liked what he heard emanating from his aunt's living-room rehearsals with a local group, especially the sounds from the drummer."

I've only been ordering books for our reference collection for about a year. I've often found the task nerve-wrecking since many reference materials can cost up to $900. I think this one was about $700. Despite glowing reviews for many of the things I do order, I still worry that a collection like this will sit on the shelve unused by our public. This, however, is one series I'm very glad to have invested in. I think Raya Kuzyk is right when she refers to it as a "first of its kind".