Aurora's First Poet Laureate Visits With Middle School Students

Press release from East Aurora School District 131:

AURORA, IL — Eighth-grade Language Arts students at Fred Rodgers Magnet Academy were visited by Karen Christensen, who in 2019 was named by Mayor Richard Irvin as Aurora’s first Poet Laureate.

Christensen founded A-Town Poetics in the city and has a long history with Aurora as both a public servant and literary contributor. Her work, rounding on 17 published manuscripts, has been included in exhibits from the Illinois State Poetry Society and Downtown Aurora Magazine.

As part of April’s National Poetry Month, students at FRMA got to show off their skills in a Poetry Slam, exhibiting haikus, cinquains, and original poems for Christensen, who shared her own wisdom on reading and writing poetry.

As a key qualifier for Aurora’s Poet Laureate distinction, Christensen is a full-time resident of Aurora. Students at FRMA shared their own stories and connection with the city through their Where I’m From poems, written during their Nostalgia Reclamation unit during quarter one.

All month long, students at every level are encouraged to explore their own voice and create poetry in all its forms.

This press release was produced by East Aurora School District 131. The views expressed here are the author’s own.