Long before paper and pen, poetry lived through the spoken word. It belonged to no one and everyone—sung and experienced together, regardless of who could read or write. It was a collective storytelling tradition that reached into the heart of human experience: myth, history, loss, and love.

Fortunately, poetry’s spoken origins remain deeply embedded in how we understand and engage with it today, even in written form. We hear a poem (or a story) as much as we read it.

Through my work with Arts Share, I’m committed to bringing poetry and literature beyond the classroom and into the wider community, honoring the tradition of words as a living, shared art form.

When the world feels unsteady, the simple act of listening in community becomes a grounding force that celebrates and reaffirms our connection to each other.