The Art of the Game

This spring, Poets House will once again be batting around baseballs and words on Staten Island, as part of its ongoing Poetry in The Branches-Staten Island initiative, generously suported by Independence Community Foundation and the Steten Island Bank & Trust Foundations. Teaming up with the with Staten Island Yankees and 18 cultural organizations Island-wide as part of Art of the Game, Poets House is hitting it out of the park this season with the following programs:

Kids, get your pens ready: we want your original baseball poems! The 2nd Annual Staten Island Youth Baseball Poem Contest opens to Staten Island residents ages 18 and under on April 1! Win tickets to a Staten Island Yankes home game . . . and read your poem aloud during the pre-game show! Entry forms can be found right here, as well as throughout Staten Island schools and public library branches. The contest opens for submissions on April 1, 2006 and runs through June 30th, 2006.

Need help writing a baseball poem? Come to a special single-session baseball poetry workshop for kids of all ages on April 29, 2pm at the Port Richmond Branch Library. Poet Dave Johnson will lead workshop participants in fun writing exercises to get their own baseball poems ready for the contest! The workshop is free and no registration is required — be sure the check the full Poetry in The Branches schedule for more free workshops for teens and adults!

Also, keep your eyes on the Staten Island Advance for a special insert about The Art of the Game, an Island-wide program during the month of April, chock full of arts and sports events including Dave Johnson reading Casey at the Bat at the Staten Island Museum's Baseball Card Exhibit Opening on March 23. Visit www.artofthegamesi.org for a full schedule of events.