Poets and Belmont community members cherished art and literature at Belmont’s Multicultural Holiday Poetry Celebration.
The event was held at Twin Pines Manor and featured readings from poets in the community and an Indian dance performance. Hosted by Belmont’s Poet Laureate Monica Korde, the event was attended by prominent members of the community, such as Belmont Mayor Charles Stone and Councilmember Davina Hurt.
Readers at the Multicultural Holiday Poetry Celebration picked self-written and well-known holiday-themed poems to read to the audience. Although Belmont hosts numerous poetry events, this one was unique because it celebrated multiculturalism through poems from different cultures and languages.
“It’s important that we understand other cultures in order to understand ourselves and find ways to live and work together. The arts represented tonight show and celebrate that we’re more alike than we’re different,” said Mara Grimes, one of the attendees at the event.
Despite the ongoing status of the pandemic, many attendees showed up, filling up the entire room. According to Korde, the turnout was both unexpected and well-received.
“I think it was brilliant, considering that we are all being careful and cautious. It was wonderful to see all the people come in,” Korde said.
The attendees to the event represented Belmont’s reverence for the arts. Organized by the Belmont Parks and Recreation department, the event serves as a way to make art a more engaging part of the community.
“I think arts not only give a voice, but they celebrate humanity. They educate, they bring joy, feeling, and self-expression,” Grimes said.
For Megan Duffy Brown, a featured poet at the event, what inspires her to pursue poetry is where people go when experiencing loss.
“There’s something in that moment or experience of loss that makes you look at something differently,” Brown said.
To Korde, poetry, in particular, stands out because of its ability to connect people. This ability is one of the main reasons Korde chose to become a poet.
“The most primary thing that every human being wants is a connection,” Korde said. “Poetry brings that connection and builds bridges.”
As poet laureate of Belmont, Korde’s job is to foster these connections by encouraging a love for poetry and literary arts by organizing community events such as poetry readings.
“I am delighted to see the Belmont community support a vibrant poetry world through the poet laureate position,” Brown said.
