Florida Educator/Poet to Read at Library of Congress

Florida poets get to shine in the Capitol.

Jacksonville, FL (PRWEB) October 29, 2006 -- Dorothy K. Fletcher, English teacher, board member of the Florida Council of Teachers of English and poet, is soon to have an experience of a lifetime. In her 35 years as a teacher, she has had to "engage" tough classroom audiences everyday, but now, she and two other Florida poets are to entertain a gathering at the Library of Congress on December 5, 2006. The reading is called Florida Poets Arrive, and it is part of the Poetry at Noon Series.

"When I won First Place in the Robert Frost Poetry Contest this year, I thought that it doesn't get much better than this," Fletcher said, "but a reading in Washington, DC will certainly shine as a magic moment for me. Even my 82-year-old uncle is excited about my December performance. He was a political science major and had a distinguished career as a writer and editor. I have finally hit the 'big time' as far as he is concerned. A reading at the Library of Congress is 'top drawer' in his book. Actually, it is pretty special in mine as well."

Dorothy's poet friend, Kay Day, spearheaded this event when she met Patricia Gray at the South Carolina Book Festival. Ms. Gray is the coordinator of the Poetry at Noon at the Library of Congress. Kay then asked Dorothy and Rize Cole, another Florida poet, to share the spotlight with her. Along with selected new poems, Kay will read from her collection "A Poetry Break" (Ocean Publishing). Rize will be sharing her poems she has recorded on CD -- "Poetry by Rize:Spirit Voices Rising," and Dorothy will be reading from her book "Zen Fishing and Other Southern Pleasures" (Ocean Publishing).

"We teachers don't often get away from all our paper-grading and lesson-planning," Dorothy said, "so my time in Washington will certainly be a highlight for my year. And yes, I am sure to share my experiences with my students. They will see that I can 'do' what it is I teach."

Florida Poets Arrive will be held at the Library of Congress at noon on December 5, 2006, in the Mary Pickford Theater, 3rd Floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Avenue, S. E. Washington, DC. The public is invited; the event is free.

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