World Class Poetry Blog

Small Town Poet Laureate Moves Poetry Into 21st Century
7 December 2007, the poet @ 8:30 pm

I’ve written before about local poets laureate. I know a few. One local poet laureate, a man named Michael Hoover, is one of the best poets that I know personally. His recent appointment to the poet laureate position in Hanover, Pa. is well deserved.

The previous poet laureate, Dana Sauers, wrote a weekly column in the local newspaper, The Hanover Evening Sun. Michael Hoover is continuing that practice with much verve. But another thing he has taken up in addition to the weekly column is the creation of audio podcasts of his poetry. Two of his poems have been published, in print and by podcast, on The Evening Sun’s website.

I love to hear Michael Hoover read. I’ve had that privilege on numerous occasions. He is in no hurry, articulates every word, every syllable, every letter. He is the type of poet that, when you hear him read, you realize has the gift and makes the art of reading poetry aloud seem easy. That’s a cliche, I know, but some cliches are worth repeating.

Michael Hoover is also a teacher. That may be why he is so good at reading out loud. These two poems are new to me. I’ve never heard him read them. To hear him read these poems aloud over a medium on which I spend 95% of my time is as much an honor as to hear them in them in person. I’d like to thank Michael Hoover for his poetry, his service to Hanover, Pa., and his willingness to move hometown poetry into the 21st century.

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