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Blogs by Patricia A. Oplinger
Friends of the Library 11/1/2014 2:24:04 PM
Being the featured speaker for Baxter County Friends of the Library was exciting for me. Patricia Oplinger's clear message for those attending the Friends of the Library monthly meeting was to read poetry for fun and enjoyment.
Read poetry to yourself, your friends, your children, your grandchildren---to everyone and anyone who will listen to its mood-altering rhythms and cadences, its transparent and varied emotions.
Libraries hold volumes of poetry to please and touch every person who walks through their doors. Poems make us laugh and cry, moan and shout, analyze and celebrate. They offer moments that exist entirely in poets' and readers' minds and carry us temporarily into each other's experiences.
It was a delightful crowd of listeners who remarked they found a whole new way to approach poets and poetry. They realized anew that it's permissible to pass over poems they didn't understand or enjoy just like anyone passes on books and movies and music they don't "get" and go on to another that they do find interesting and satisfying.
Making new friends is a joy to me and October 22nd was one of those joy filled days.
The Reynolds Library on the edge of the Arkansas State University campus in Mountain Home, AR is an incredibly busy place. This library has many volunteers and countless activities for everyone. And I mean everyone from youngsters to seniors. Do yourself a favor and check their website or better yet, jump in your car and drive there.
This is the perfect season to explore the foothills of the Ozarks through the glory of falling leaves. After perusing the two-story library, stop in at the Blackbird Cafe inside the library. You will have a wonderfully uplifting day.
And plan to come back December 7th to meet a host of regional authors, including me. Books are great Christmas presents!
