National Poetry Month 2023

A Poetry Reading with Mississippi Poet C.T. Salazar

The MSU Libraries National Poetry Month Committee presents A Poetry Reading with Mississippi Poet C.T. Salazar on April 3, 2023, at 3:30pm in the Grisham Room, located in Mitchell Memorial Library.  A question-and-answer session will follow the reading along with a small reception and the announcement of the 4th Annual Undergrad Poetry Contest Winners.

C.T. Salazar is a Latinx poet and librarian from Mississippi. His debut collection, Headless John the Baptist Hitchhiking is now available from Acre Books. He’s the author of three chapbooks, most recently American Cavewall Sonnets (Bull City Press, 2021). He’s the 2020 recipient of the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters award in poetry. His poems have appeared in The Rumpus, Beloit Poetry Journal, Cincinnati Review, 32 Poems, RHINO, and elsewhere.

To learn more about C.T. Salazar please check out his website here.

Poetry Exhibits 

• The exhibit Bully’s Bards will be displayed on the third floor of Mitchell Memorial Library. This exhibit features the poems of MSU English faculty members as well as alumni of the creative writing program.

• A new exhibit, Manuscripts in Verse: Collected Works of Poetry, will be displayed in the Special Collections Department, located on the third floor of Mitchell Memorial Library. This exhibit includes works of poetry found in collections from the Manuscripts Division.

• The exhibit case outside of the Library Dean’s Office, located on the third floor of Mitchell Memorial Library, will highlight a poet from the Southern Literary Trail, Byron Herbert Reece. This display will contain biographical information about Reece and one of his works. Rheagan Case, an undergraduate English student and Special Collections intern, will be curating this exhibit.

Blind Date with a Book of Poems

• Visit Access and Information to pick up your date

• Remember to “Check out your blind date before unwrapping your book of poems” 

Poetry Steps 

• This year we highlight C.T. Salazar, a Latinx and Mississippi poet, is the author of three chap books and recently published his first book of poems Headless John the Baptist Hitchhiking.

• Enter the Library from the drill field and read the lines of poetry as you walk up the steps.

• Read the full poem Mostly I'd like to be a spider web

Poem of the Day

• Follow Us on Social Media, Twitter and Facebook, to read a new poem every day!  This year we will share poems about libraries and books!
• Poems are recommended by library faculty and staff, as well as faculty from other departments on campus!