Celebrate National Poetry Month around the District

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Celebrate National Poetry Month around the District

WASHINGTON — With April comes National Poetry Month, celebrating the importance of the art form in the U.S.

Established in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets, National Poetry Month not only highlights the work of past poets but encourages the work of current and future poets.

Whether it’s reading a poem聽at a presidential inauguration聽or weaving a poet’s words into a Beyonc茅 album, poetry continues to influence American culture.聽Here’re a few ways you can celebrate in the District.

Juan Felipe Herrera, the newly appointed United States poet laureate, reads one of his poems before the California State Senate, Monday, July 6, 2015, in Sacramento,Calif. Herrera, 66, whose parents emigrated from Mexico, will be the nation's first Latino poet laureate since the position was created in 1936. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) — **Quick trivia:** Who is the current U.S. poet laureate? Why,, of course! He is the country’s first Latino poet laureate and has served two terms. Past poet laureates include Robert Frost, William Stafford and Rita Dove. This photo shows Herrera reading one of his poems before the California State Senate, Monday, July 6, 2015, in Sacramento, California. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

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And if the weather gets a little too dicey, enjoy spoken word from , read , or write your own poems every day of this month following , started by D.C.-based poet Maureen Thorson.