Due to the Delray Affair and Billie Jean King Cup the library will be closed Friday April 14 - Sunday April 16. The library will resume normal operating hours on Monday April 17 @ 9AM

Good afternoon, Dear Library Friends!

April is U.S National Poetry Month!

Being a life-long lover of poetry, and subscriber and supporter of Poetry Magazine and the Poetry Foundation, I’m in poetic heaven!
When imagining poetry, many Americans think of the rhyming couplets we learned as schoolchildren. But poetry and its origins constitute some of the oldest literary works humanity has ever produced. The Epic of Gilgamesh which tells of the adventures of a Mesopotamian King, was written 2000 years before Christ and is often considered the first poem.
Two of the most pleasurable reading experiences of my life are both epic poems: Homer’s, The Iliad, which relays as if by muse the sometimes-gruesome story of the Trojan War (700 BC); and the great Dante Allegri’s massive, awe-inspiring vision of Earth, Heaven, and Hell, The Divine Comedy (1321).

For me, the immense power of poetry stems from the form’s use of language – a super-sensitized even heightened language that speaks with a kind of music (think David’s language in the Bible’s Psalms). In modern poetry, the language is often so very memorable because of its honed, concise beauty – a form able to communicate so much very quickly. Consider the following, a favorite poem of mine from Thomas Luz,

“For some semitropical reason 
when the rains fall 
relentlessly they fall
into swimming pools, these otherwise   
bright and scary
arachnids. They can swim
a little, but not for long

and they can’t climb the ladder out.
They usually drown—but   
if you want their favor,
if you believe there is justice,   
a reward for not loving

the death of ugly
and even dangerous (the eel, hog snake,   
rats) creatures, if

you believe these things, then   
you would leave a lifebuoy
or two in your swimming pool at night.

And in the morning   
you would haul ashore
the huddled, hairy survivors

and escort them
back to the bush, and know,
be assured that at least these saved,   
as individuals, would not turn up

again someday
in your hat, drawer,
or the tangled underworld

of your socks, and that even—
when your belief in justice
merges with your belief in dreams—
they may tell the others

in a sign language   
four times as subtle
and complicated as man’s

that you are good,   
that you love them,
that you would save them again.”

Thomas Lux, “Tarantulas on the Lifebuoy” from New and Selected Poems: 1975-1995. Copyright © 1997 by Thomas Lux. Used by the permission of Houghton Mifflin Company.

If anyone has any questions or concerns, please let me know.

And, as always, be safe, well-read, and happy.

Mykal Banta, Executive Director
Delray Beach Public Library
561-266-9488
[email protected]

Joycelyn Patrick of the GFWC Woman’s Club of Delray Beach stopped by last week with a donation to the Library from its members. The Woman’s Club is a longtime supporter and is the modern extension of the group of the 30 women of the Ladies Improvement Society who founded the Library in 1913. Thank you Joycelyn and Woman’s Club Members for all your support over the years.

“Mèsi Ms. Marie!” We truly appreciate *Ms. Marie for leading her wonderful outreach program, Bonjou! Bilingual Creole-English Storytime with the PreK 4-year-old students at Village Academy! Bonjou! is a bi-monthly, bilingual Haitian Creole/English program featuring stories, songs and dances that help expand vocabulary, verbal expression, and cultural appreciation!  

*Fun Fact: Did you know that our Children’s Team is practically multi-lingual? Ms. Marie is fluent in English and Haitian-Creole, Ms. Lovely is fluent in English, Haitian-Creole and knows some French and Spanish, and Ms. Tea is fluent in English, understands and reads some French, Spanish and knows some basic ASL. So, when you stop by the Children’s desk, your family may feel free to greet us in any of these languages or teach us how to say “Hello” in another language you know! 

Oh Baby! Storytime

April 12th @ 9AM & 10AM
Ages: 3mo – 2.5yrs   

Join Ms. Tea, Mommy Turtle & her little hatchlings for a story, songs, stimulating developmentally appropriated exercises…and bubbles! Program held in the library.
Online registration is required.

Register for Oh, Baby! Story Time

Snips, Snaps, Tales and Tunes

Thursday, April 13th @ 3:30 PM
Ages: 3-5

Early learners will join Ms. Lovely for a story and a related craft to develop listening skills, print awareness and fine motor coordination among other skills.  
Online registration is required. Limit 15 students.

Register for Snips, Snaps, Tales and Tunes

Story Chasers

Monday, April 17rd @ 3:30PM
Ages: 1st-3rd Grade  

Registered book club members join us to chat about an assigned fantasy/adventure story, to share a show-and-tell theme craft, and to play a fun pop-up quiz game! In honor of Environmental Education

Week (April 19 – 23), our book clubbers are reading an endearing graphic novel with a message about climate change entitled: “Surviving the Wild: Rainbow the Koala” by Remy Lai. Our program is held in person at the library. Online registration is required. Limit 12 

Register for Story Chasers

Young @ Art

April 5th & 19th  @ 3:30 PM
Ages: 5 - 7 

Join Ms. Jolaye in our Young @ Art studio to create artwork while learning the principles of fine art. Remember to wear clothes that allow artistic freedom!
Online registration required. 

Register for Young @ Art

Teen Book Club

2023 Teen Book Club
Complete Fantasy Series Teen Book Subscription Box
Ages: 13-17? ?

New Series! Graceling (Complete Series – 4 books) by Kristin Cashore 
Tuesday, April 18th, @ 5:00-6:00pm in the Teen Room, 2nd Floor & via Zoom? 
The registration link will open on Tuesday, March 21st after 6:00 pm.   

Pssst! Check this out!? A FREE monthly teen book subscription full of one-of-a-kind collection items, and specially curated products for teen readers!? Each box will include all the books in a fantasy series, plus self-care products to help you set the mood and unplug from the world and read! All free for you to keep!  

We will meet Face-to-Face (F2F) and via Zoom meeting on the 1st?and 3rd?Tuesday of every month in the Teen Room, 2nd Floor & via Zoom. Quantities are limited to 12 Teen Subscription Boxes each month, so register now to reserve your very own March Teen Book Subscription Box!?? 

Attending the Teen Book Club Discussions is required.? Must join the Teen Book Club’s Remind group @dbpltbc for updates and Zoom links 

Register for Teen Book Club

Click Here to view the Delray Beach Public Library The Next Chapter - April 11, 2023