Vernon’s first Poet Laureate Named

VERNON, CT — The Rockville Public Library will celebrate the inauguration of Vernon’s first Poet Laureate, Pegi Deitz Shea.

The Inauguration is scheduled to take place in the Library’s reading room on Monday, Sept. 16,

2019 at 6:30 pm and will include a poetry reading and reception. The event is free and open to the public.

"As part of our ongoing efforts to create a more sustainable community and to keep poetry a vibrant part of the culture in Vernon, the Town Council established the honorary position of Poet Laureate in April of 2019,” Mayor Daniel Champagne said. “This appointment, and the working partnerships formed with the Arts Center East and the University of Connecticut Fine Arts Program highlight the creative resources in available in Vernon."

Pegi Deitz Shea is a two-time winner of the Connecticut Book Award for Children’s Literature and the author of more than 450 published articles, essays, and poems for adult readers. A State Teaching Artist, she teaches Creative Writing at the University of Connecticut and the Institute of Children’s Literature. She is a member of the National Poetry Society (Connecticut chapter), and has given featured poetry readings throughout the state.

Shea is the founder and director of "Poetry Rocks!" a quarterly poetry series featured at Vernon’s Arts Center East, which is in its third year. Sponsored by the Vernon Arts Commission, the series’ goal is growing poetry, celebrating the town’s teen poets, and bringing diverse voices to Vernon.

During her one-year term at Poet Laureate, Shea will help the library update and expand its poetry collection, help students create poetry that highlights life in Vernon, and organize and conduct workshops with military veterans and with the general population.

For more information about the Inaugural event, please visit the Library located at 52 Union Street in Vernon, or contact library staff at (860)875-5892. Information is also available by visiting their website at www.rockvillepubliclibrary.org.