“Poetry in Parks” Travelogue: Cuyahoga Valley National Park

In June, U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón launched “Poetry in Parks,” which features site-specific poetry installations in seven national parks across the country. These installations, which will transform picnic tables into works of public art, will each feature a historic American poem that connects in a meaningful way to the park. Limón will travel to each of the parks for an unveiling, and we’ll be reporting on summer visits in “Bookmarked” throughout July.

After a two-week break, the laureate and Library staff hit the road again for our fourth “Poetry in Parks” trip. This time it was Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio. Like other national parks featured in the initiative, Cuyahoga Valley abuts urban areas—Cleveland to the north, Akron to the south. It also has an active relationship with a local literary partner: the Wick Poetry Center at Kent State University. Wick’s collaborations with the park include “’The valley’ Community Poem” featuring “The valley” by Jean Valentine—the poem Ada Limón selected for the park’s picnic table. Wick also used “The valley” as a prompt for its Wick Juniors Writing camp, which we experienced firsthand!

Just past noon on Friday, July 12 we arrived at the Ledges Shelter, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s in the park’s southeast corner. The Wick Juniors Writing Camp had just finished lunch, and the group of over 70 students and staff gathered under the shelter for an hour with the laureate. Ada began by talking about her coming to poetry, then one by one 35 students came up to read their poems inspired by “The valley.” Afterwards, the students lined up to ask Ada prepared questions about her poetry and the laureateship. It was a joy seeing the students, some of whom were just starting 3^rd grade and some preparing for their senior year in high school, engage with Ada—many shyly, and all seriously.

The day’s public event took place a few hours later in the same location—this time, in the large grassy playfield adjacent to the shelter. The event, co-sponsored by a half dozen area literary and cultural organizations, drew an audience of over 400 sitting on blankets and lawn chairs in the early evening heat. Donald Boozer, the manager of the Ohio Center for the Book, was among the guests—the center is part of the Library’s national network promoting reading, literacy, and libraries.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park Superintendent Lisa Petit gave an introduction, and Ada read a few of her poems as well as “The valley”—and talked about Valentine, who selected her first book for publication almost 20 years ago. Afterwards Wick Poetry Center Director David Hassler joined Ada for a moderated discussion and focused on a few of her poems, including “Startlement,” written for the National Climate Assessment. The event concluded with the ever-popular table reveal followed a long, long book signing.

As the daylight waned and the crowds dispersed, park rangers from Cuyahoga Valley National Park posed for photographs in front of the picnic table. Ada joined, then signed the ranger’s copies of the “You Are Here” anthology on the table. I happened upon a couple taking a picture of the anthology atop the table—turns out they were celebrating their 10^th wedding anniversary, and I took a photo of them kissing at the table. Such is the unexpected magic of the “Poetry in Parks” trips.