Wake County Public Libraries are dialing it up for literary enthusiasts with a slate of events that celebrate the Piedmont Laureate program, a gem in North Carolina's arts crown. This program, a partnership with United Arts of Wake County and the Raleigh Fine Arts Society, shines a spotlight on local talent from the Piedmont region, championing those who wield words with finesse and power. It's a nod, a tip of the hat, a kudos—ick, let's just call it what it is: a cool way to recognize and push the literary arts further into the local spotlight.
Come October 1st, from 6-7 p.m. at the Oberlin Regional Library, you'll find teens taking the stage for the Teen Spoken Word Night. This isn't just any poetry slam. These word warriors are the crème de la crème from the city's High School Spoken Word Competition. As per the Wake County news release, 83 students from 21 schools threw their verses into the ring, and this night is their Super Bowl. If you're hoping to catch some wisdom or inspiration from spoken word poet and 2023 laureate Dasan Ahanu (the brain behind the competition), stick around after the rhymes for a panel discussion that's all about the spoken word game.
Switching gears to the written side of things, Steven Petrow steps into the light as the 2024 Piedmont Laureate with a focus on creative nonfiction. If you don’t know Petrow, here’s the brief: award-winning journo, writes about civility (we could all use a bit more of that), aging, and health. Oh, and he's making waves with columns in huge outlets like The Washington Post and The New York Times. This guy’s thoughts are going international, with his USA Today column, "3 Ways to Practice Civility," being picked up in 16 languages. That's a lot of people learning to play nice in a lot of different ways of saying please and thank you.
But hey, don’t just, read about him—go see Petrow IRL. He's hitting up the Cary Regional Library on October 6, right in the heart of Downtown Cary Park. Save the date, bookmark the website, or write it in sharpie on your palm. Petrow’s bringing his new book “The Joy You Make” to the Read Local Program, a piece all about finding joy in the gloomiest nooks of life. And later in October, dial into cyberspace for his virtual discussion “What You Can Do to Reclaim Civility in American Life.” Spoiler alert: we could use a bit of that, especially online. Civility—the internet’s rarest resource.
Details on Teen Spoken Word Night and Petrow’s events? They're just a click away at the Wake County official news page.
