Table Talk: National Poetry Month

How To Celebrate Poetry Month With Your Kids

This week's Family Dinner Table Talk, from HuffPost and The Family Dinner book:

In 1996, the Academy of American Poets founded National Poetry Month to celebrate poetry and its vital place in American culture. There are many ways to celebrate this literary festival; for instance, writing your own poem, attending a public reading at school or the library or even visiting the home of a beloved writer like Emily Dickinson. On April 18th -- Poem in Your Pocket Day -- you can even join poetry lovers around the country by choosing one poem to bring with you everywhere you go.

Tonight, check out the amazing archives on Poets.org and pick a poem to recite over dinner for your family. If a 3-year-old can do it this well, you definitely give it a shot too!

Questions for discussion:
  • What is your favorite poem?
  • Have you ever written a poem?
  • What makes poetry different from other art like novels, paintings or films?
  • If you could pick one thing and devote a whole month to celebrating it, what would it be?

In her cookbook, The Family Dinner, Laurie David talks about the importance of families making a ritual of sitting down to dinner together, and how family dinners offer a great opportunity for meaningful discussions about the day's news. "Dinner," she says, "is as much about digestible conversation as it is about delicious food."

We couldn't agree more. So HuffPost has joined with Laurie and every Friday afternoon, just in time for dinner, our editors highlight one of the most compelling news stories of the week -- stories that will spark a lively discussion among the whole family.

Also on Huffpost, via Positively Positive:

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