Introducing THE POETRY CARAVAN!
I’m so excited to tell everyone about the Austin Poetry Society’s latest non-profit project and so honored to be a part of it. If you’re a poet in the Austin area, please read this and consider participating.
The purpose of The Poetry Caravan is to give free readings and workshops in retirement homes, hospitals, and shelters, taking poetry to people who can’t go to poetry. We will be launching the project in January 2015 with four venues offering one reading per month, but we hope to expand to include more locations and more types of presentations as more poets become involved.
Founded in White Plains, New York, by Usha Akella in 2003, the original chapter of the Caravan has held over 1,000 free readings, led workshops, and produced an anthology with a forward by former Poet Laureate Billy Collins. The Austin chapter will be led by APS board members Usha Akella, Barbara Gregg, and myself, Carie Juettner.
If you are a poet in the Austin area who would like to give a reading through The Poetry Caravan, please contact me (cariejuettner@gmail.com) or Usha Akella (poetrycaravanaustin@gmail.com) and we will give you more information about the readings and send you the sign-up schedule. And if you’re not a poet yourself, please share this information with your writer friends.
The Poetry Caravan will be a wonderful addition to Austin’s creative culture. I’m thrilled to be a part of it and can’t wait to get started. Join me!
Carie Juettner 
What a beautiful organization and goal! Please update on how it goes. 🙂
Thank you. I will. One of my jobs in the next month is to get the Caravan’s Facebook page going, so pretty soon there should be a way to follow our progress.