National Poetry Month

A weekly roundup to mark the celebration.

Monday, April 7

7 P.M. Poets Anne Becker and Heddy Reid share their work as part of the Café Muse series held at the Friendship Heights Village Center, 4433 S. Park Ave., Chevy Chase, Md., 301-656-2797. Refreshments and classical guitar (courtesy of Michael Davis) open the program, which concludes with an open mic segment.

8 P.M. "Under a Spell: Jazz and Blues in Poetry" is the theme of the Folger Poetry Series's evening of readings by Quincy Troupe, author of The Architecture of Language, and Tyehimba Jess, a graduate of the Cave Canem workshop and author of the first collection, leadbelly, at the Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol St. SE. A reception and book signing follow. Tickets are $12; call 202-544-7077 or visit http://www.folger.edu/poetry to RSVP.

Thursday, April 10

10:30 A.M. Carolyn Kreiter-Foronda, the poet laureate of Virginia and author of the new collection River Country, leads a poetry workshop inspired by the current exhibition "Degas to Diebenkorn: The Phillips Collects," at the Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St. NW. Admission is $30 for the general public, $25 for museum members; call 202-387-2151, ext. 247 or e-mail groups@phillipscollection.org to register.

7 P.M. Olsson's Books & Records in Old Town (106 S. Union St., Alexandria, Va.) will honor poetry month with an open mic reading each Thursday night at 7 p.m. Customers can share their own work, or read from their favorite verse. Call 703-684-0077 for details.

7 P.M. The "Jazzpoetry" series features readings by Cliff Bernier and Jonathan Vaile, with music by Shep Williams (keyboard), Rocky Jones (percussion) and Aretha Areatha (vocals), at the Caboose Café in Del Ray, 2419 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria, Va., 703-566-1283.

8 P.M. Stanley Plumly, author, most recently, of Old Heart: Poems, is joined by Bruce MacKinnon, author of Mystery School: Poems, for a reading at George Washington University, Marvin Center amphitheater, 800 21st St. NW as part of the Jenny McKean Moore Reading Series. Call 202-994-6180 for details.

Saturday, April 12

12:30 P.M. The recently launched interactive "Library of Congress Experience" celebrates poetry month with "Spotlight on Poetry," with Grace Cavalieri, Dan Logan and E. Ethelbert Miller reading their work, as well as poems from past poet laureates, on the main stage in Neptune Plaza, Thomas Jefferson Bldg. entrance, 10 First St. SE. Call 202-707-5394 for details.

7:30 P.M. Poet and NEA chairman Dana Gioia, author of the award-winning collection Interrogations at Noon, discusses the role of poetry in America and reads selections of his work at the Writer's Center, 4508 Walsh St., Bethesda, Md. Admission is $8 for nonmembers; call 301-654-8664 or visit http://www.writer.org/events to RSVP.

Sunday, April 13

6 P.M. The Iota Poetry Series hosts Karren L. Alenier, Anne Becker, Michael C. Davis, Patricia Garfinkel, Myra Sklarew and Marchant Wentworth reading in a special tribute to Jacklyn Potter, poet and widely admired director of the Joaquin Miller Cabin Poetry Series from 1984 until her death in 2006, at the Iota Club and Café, 2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Va., 703-256-9275.