April is National Poetry Month, and we offer a number of ways to celebrate, from sharing your own poetry, to an evening with the Illinois Poet Laureate.

All month long, the library’s community poetry wall will be up: poets of all ages can stop by any time to submit an original poem (make sure it’s a copy that the library can keep), and library staff will post it on the poetry wall for all to read.

On Thursday, April 30, at 6 pm, the library will welcome Illinois Poet Laureate Mark Turcotte for a poetry reading and Q & A. This special event is intended for adults. It will open with readings by several local poets, and Turcotte’s books will be available for purchase (cash or Venmo).

Named in July 2025 as the sixth Illinois Poet Laureate, Turcotte (Turtle Mountain Band Anishinaabe) lived his early years on North Dakota’s Turtle Mountain Chippewa Reservation and in the migrant camps of the western US. He is author of several books, including The Feathered Heart and Exploding Chippewas. His work has appeared in many national and international literary journals and anthologies, including the new and first ever Norton Anthology of Native Nations Poetry. His poem, “Dear New Blood,” was recently featured on the poetry podcast, Poetry Unbound. Turcotte was the recipient of a 2001-2002 Lannan Foundation Literary Award and his work is included in the NEA/Poetry Foundation project Poetry Out Loud.  He lives in Chicago, and since 2009, has been Senior Lecturer and Distinguished-Writer-In-Residence in the English Department at DePaul University in Chicago.

The Illinois Poet Laureate is an honorary position selected by a committee of experts and subsequently appointed by the governor, with the mandate to promote access to and appreciation of poetry and the literary arts across the state. Former Illinois Poet Laureates include Angela Jackson, Howard Austin, Carl Sandburg, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Kevin Stein.

For more information about this and other library events check out our newsletter or call 309-274-2719.