GLOUCESTER, MA – April marks National Poetry Month, a nationwide celebration established in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets to promote the awareness and appreciation of poetry in America.
The City of Gloucester invites residents and visitors alike to celebrate by getting to know its Co-Poet Laureates, Heidi Wakeman and Jay Featherstone. Selected by the Committee for the Arts last spring and officially appointed in July 2025, the pair are serving a two-year term dedicated to elevating poetry throughout the community.
Co-Poet Laureate Featherstone is a longtime poet, educator, and literary leader in Gloucester. He has helped revive and shape the Gloucester Writers’ Center while drawing deep inspiration from the city’s artistic legacy and dedicating his work to strengthening its poetic community across generations.
A community-driven poet, educator, and arts advocate, Co-Poet Laureate Wakeman actively contributes to Gloucester Writers Center, engages local audiences through workshops and public events, integrates poetry into education and civic life, and promotes accessible creative expression across diverse groups here in the City.
Co-Poet Laureates Wakeman and Featherstone co-host The Pleasure of Poetry, a podcast produced in collaboration with 1623 Studios. Their most recent episode, released April 1, features a conversation with Rockport poet Martha Fox and continues their mission of making poetry accessible and engaging for all audiences.
Throughout April, our Co-Poet Laureates will be sharing their work across the city and leading workshops designed to inspire writers of all levels. Co-Poet Laureate Wakeman will be reading a poem at the beginning of the City Council meeting on Tuesday, April 14th at 6:30PM, and Co-Poet Laureate Featherstone will read a poem at the beginning of the City Council Meeting on Tuesday, April 28th at 6:30PM. They will also be sharing their poems during the following public events:
- Earth Day Flag Raising on Wednesday, April 22 at 12:00 pm at City Hall
- Earth Day Recycling Festival on Saturday, April 25 at O’Maley Middle School
- From the Deep: A Downtown Gloucester Arts Party presented by the Harbortown Cultural District on Saturday, May 2 at businesses across downtown
In addition, Co-Poet Laureate Wakeman is partnering with the Sawyer Free Library to offer two free workshops this month:
- Fighting Words Poetry, presented in collaboration with the Pulitzer Center (April 6)
- Find Your Joy: Teen and Tween Poetry Writing, part of the annual Poetry Without Paper contest (April 24)
These events provide a fun opportunity for the community to experience the power of poetry.
—
Mayor Paul Lundberg
City of Gloucester
Good Morning Gloucester 