The Complete Poems

Saturday, October 19
Community Reading of Carl Sandburg’s Pulitzer Prize-winning collection of poetry, "The Complete Poems."
9:00 am to Noon

“The Complete Poems”, is a collection of Sandburg poetry that was first published between 1916–1950. It won a Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1951. The collection starts with the Chicago Poems and reflects a portrait of America, much of which can still be observed today. The community is invited to read 5-minute segments of the collection for the audience throughout the day.

12 readers are needed each hour to participate in the event. Each reader will read a five minute segment of the work. Please sign-up to read here https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0C48A4A72DA4FA7-community.

• Assignments of reading order for each hour will be made when you check in.
• Please arrive at least 10 minutes prior to your assigned hour block. The reading will be held at the new amphitheater located a short walk from the main visitor parking lot.
• A copy of the book with large print will be available for the readers at the event. Readers may either stand or sit during their reading.
• Since we are reading for time and not content we are unable to provide specific passages in advance for the readers.
• Readers should be high school age or older

This program is supported by the Friends of Carl Sandburg at Connemara.

---

FAQs

How will I know when it is my turn to read?

You will be given a reader number upon sign in at the amphitheater. Your turn is based on this number. (Example: If “Joe Smith” signs in and is reader # 4, then “Sally Jones,” who signs in right after him, is reader #5. Etc). Volunteers will help you sign in. We will also use a large white board and a timer to track pages and readers.

Can I read for more than 5 minutes?

Yes! Each reader can sign up for 2 slots. We will give you a break between each 5-minute reading. If we haven't filled our reader slots you may offer to read more.

Can I read a favorite poem from Complete Poems instead of whatever pages are “next” when it is my turn to read?

We are reading the collection, in order, from first page to last page. We will not be able to accommodate requests to read certain sections or read the poem out of order.

I have a soft voice. Will people hear me?

Sandburg’s poems were meant to be read aloud by The People. We welcome all voices (and we will have a microphone on stage).

What time will we finish?

We will conclude the poem at noon. We will mark the place we finished and will begin with the next poem at our next Community reading.