Post Classifieds
Poetry uses parks for inspiration
By Tyeisha Prior
On September 26, 2012
The Rooftop Poetry Club is hosting a series of events called the "Olmsted Parks Poetry Project:
Exploring the Poetic Nature of Public Spaces" throughout the semester for Buffalo State's Year
of the City initiative.
The goal is to bring Buffalo State students and the community together to learn more about
Olmsted Parks and to inspire writers to use nature as a muse.
"The Rooftop Poetry Club has always been very community orientated, so to participate in the
Year of the City program was totally natural," said Lisa Forrest, coordinator of reference science
and library communications.
Along with Forrest, Irene Sipos, a lecturer of college writing, is also a creator of the project.
Both started the Rooftop Poetry Club in June 2005.
According to the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservatory, Fredrick Law Olmsted, the father of
American landscape architecture, came to Buffalo in 1868 and wanted to make Buffalo the best
designed city in the country. Today, Olmsted Parks has more than 1,200 acres of parks, pathways
and circles.
"It's pretty amazing what Olmsted has done for Buffalo," Sipos said. "Besides the contributions
Olmsted made aesthetically, he was a social force in urban social movement of democratization
and abolitionism."
Forrest said she wanted to help bring a greater appreciation to the history of the parks system.
"We chose the Olmsted Parks because we believe that they are such a valuable asset to the
community, and yet, so many people drive or walk past them each day without recognizing the
rich history behind the park system," she said.
Each event is located in different parks around Buffalo and focuses on guest speakers and
writing workshop activities for participants.
The first event that kicked off the Olmsted Parks Poetry Project was from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
on Sept. 7, at the Rose Garden in Delaware Park. Participants created poems based on objects
that were in the park and wrote down a couple of them that they saw on paint chips. The goal of
the workshop was that the participants had to specifically use those words somewhere in their
poems.
Upcoming events for the Olmsted Parks Poetry Project include readings from author Carey
Anne Miller and poet Andrew Rippeon from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday at Bidwell Parkway's
Colonial Circle. The following event is from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Oct. 5 at the Pedestrian Loop
featuring poet Jonathan Skinner, where the group will be meeting in the back steps of the
Albright-Knox Art Gallery.
Eve Everette, an adjunct theatre professor, will be giving a presentation with Frank Kowsky at
7 p.m. Nov. 16, at the Parkside Lounge. Here she will be holding a performance where she will
recite poetry created by Buffalo historic poets.
Everette, who said she has an appreciation for parks, wants people to get more involved and
become an advocate for the parks system. She said she especially wants to show students that if
you're passionate about something, to let your voice be heard.
"What I want students to take is the feeling that if they care about a place, they can bring people
to that place by holding an event," Everette said. "Stories connect people to places."
She is also bringing the Olmsted Projects into her classes as well. In her voice and movement
class, Everette is having her students create poems about Buffalo.
The Rooftop Poetry Club focuses on giving workshops, holding open mic sessions for students
and faculty, and tries to encourage students to read their own original work or even another
author's work.
Forrest said students need a place to show their own work. The club wants to feature more
readings and open mics for students.
Throughout the semester, the Rooftop Poetry Club is holding a series of readings and open mics
on select Tuesdays during Bengal Pause in the International Students Reading Area located on
the third floor, SE Quadrant of Butler Library.
On Tuesday, the club featured poets Robin Brox and Kristina Darling.
Any student, regardless of major, can attend and participate in these readings and events.
The Rooftop Poetry Club has also worked on projects around campus such as the Slide Project,
a multimedia project combining poetry and discarded art slides. The finished product was a short
film containing a recording of the writer reading their poem and showing a montage of slide
images.
To RVSP for any of the Olmsted Parks Poetry Project workshops, please contact Lisa Forrest or
Irene Sipos.
• Tyeisha Prior can be reached by email at prior.record@live.com.
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