Write by the Rails (WbtR) Announces “Poems Around Town”

Write by the Rails (WbtR), the Prince William Chapter of the Virginia Writer’s Club, is pleased to announce the launch of an area-wide poetry installation entitled “Poems Around Town.” The brainchild of WbtR vice president Jan Rayl, the arts initiative is meant to encourage residents and visitors to “stop and read a piece of literary art they might not otherwise even glance at, something short that will get them thinking in a different way.”

It works very simply, the club says: "We create and print a design with a member’s poem on standard size paper. Each poem is put in a clear stand or frame for placement wherever the hosting organization would like. The more visible, the better.”

Graphic designer and WbtR member Victor Rook created templates for participating members’ poems, carefully designed so as not to detract from the power of the words.

The poems are family friendly. There is no cost to the location owner, and WbtR will advertise on social media, on websites and in local publications where people can find these exhibits once they are installed. Promotion of the hosting organization will remain active as long as the installation remains visible there.

Five locations in the Manassas area have already agreed to participate. The club would like to see 50 locations in Manassas, Manassas Park and Prince William County become installation hosts.

For more details and to become an installation host, email WbtR president Katherine Gotthardt at Poetry@AllThingsWritingLLC.com. For more information on Write by the Rails, visit www.WbtR.org.