Below is a schedule of Common Thread events listed aphabetically by community. Below that list is the same list arranged chronologically.  Check either for your town’s program.

Common Threads is a program of Masachusetts Poetry that seeks to have 10,000 people in the state read these seven poems in the month of April, National Poetry Month:

• “In the Waiting Room” by Elizabeth Bishop
• “The Lost Pilot” by James Tate
• “Occupation” by Suji Kwock Kim
• “Vita Nova” by Louise Glück
• “New England Ode” by Kevin Young
• “Samurai Song” by Robert Pinsky
• “Love Song: I and Thou” by Alan Dugan

All the poets have strong connections to Massachusetts.

Each organization that presents a Common Threads event will be given a kit with the poems, discussion questions about the poems and critical material as well as an audio clip of the poet reading the poem (or someone else reading it for a deceased poet).  Many schools, senior centers, libraries, and book clubs have signed up the read the poems. Those participating organizations below are open to the public.

Read more on Common Threads and how to start your own poetry reading club.

If you don’t see your town listed . . .

Check out your town, and if you don’t find it listed today, come back in a few days. Many organizations are still developing their schedule for the program.

Listing by town or city 

Acton
Acton Council on Aging
50 Audubon Drive
Thursday, April 28
1 p.m.
Organizer: Liz Jewell
 

Barnstable

Unitarian Church of Barnstable Poetry Group
Route 6A and Phinney’s Lane, Barnstable Village
Monday, April 11, 2011 (our regular meeting date and time)
7:30 PM
Organizer: Pam Emery 508-420-5286 *
*Please call and let us know you are planning to attend, so we can have enough copies of the poems for all participants.

Beverly

Beverly Public Library
32 Essex St.
Thursday, April 21
7pm
Organizer: Matthew Martens

Boston

UMass Boston’s Healey Library
Monday April 25
3:00 PM
Organizer:  George Hart <george.hart@umb.edu>
Facilitators: Joyce Peseroff, Shea Mullaney, Kevin Morrisette
Concord

Concord Poetry Center
 40 Stow Street
April 14th (Must pre-register but it is open to the public*)
7pm-10pm
Organizer: Kate Desjardins
* Workshop size limited. See website to register for this event: http://www.concordpoetry.org/index.php

Falmouth 

West Falmouth Library
575 West Falmouth Highway
Friday, April 1
3:30-5 pm
Organizers: Alice Kociemba and the West Falmouth Library

Falmouth

Falmouth Public Library,  Poetry Book Discussion Group
300 Main Street
Friday, April 8th
1:00 – 2:30pm
Organizer: Alice Kociemba

Jamaica Plain

Jamaica Plain Branch Library of the Boston Public Library, Branch Librarian: Betsy Clarke
12 Sedgwick Street 617-524-2053
Thursday, April 28
8 PM
Organizer Barbara Trachtenberg

Lancaster 

Thayer Memorial Library
717 Main St., Lancaster MA 01523
Tuesday, April 5
6:30 pm— for “Poetry and Potluck” *
Organizer: Nancy Hayes Clune, Adult Services Librarian
*Pick up a packet on the poems a week or so BEFORE the event, bring a dish (salad/main/dessert) and come discuss the poems over dinner.

Lowell

Pollard Memorial Library
401 Merrimack St
Thursday, April 21st
7PM
Organizer: Sean Thibodeau, Community Planning Librarian

Marblehead

Abbot Public Library
Pleasant St.
Wednesday, April 6    10:30 -noon
Wednesday, April 13    7-8:30 pm
Wednesday, April 20    10:30-noon
Facilitator: Claire Keyes
 *  For more information and to register, go to www.abbotlibrary.org or call 781-631-9454.

 Medford

Medford Public Library Poetry Discussion Group
111 High Street
First Monday of the month, April 4, May 2
6:45 PM
Organizer: Patricia Schmieg

North Brookfield

Haston Library Book Club
Haston Free Pubic Library, North Brookfield, MA
April 26
7:00 P.M.
Organizer: Ann Kidd

Northampton

Forbes Library
20 West Street
Monday, May 2
7 PM
Organizers: Lisa Downing, Diana Gordon

North Reading

Flint Memorial Library
147 Park St.
Tuesday, April 5
7PM
Organizer: Helena Minton

Peabody

Peabody Institute Library*
82 Main Street
April 12, 2011
10:30 a.m.
Organizers: Kelley Rae Unger and J.D. Scrimgeour

*    For more information and to register, go to www.peabodylibrary.org, or
call 978-531-0100 ext. 10.. 

Quincy

Thomas Crane Public Library
40 Washington Street
Saturday, April 23, 2011
2:00 PM
Organizer: Harry R. Williams III, Library Director

Reading

Reading Public Library
64 Middlesex Avenue
Tuesday, April 26th
7:00 to 8:30 PM
Organizer: Vicky Schubert

Somerset

“The Pleasure of Poetry” at the Somerset Public Library
1464 County Street
Wednesday, April 6
2-4 PM
Organizer: Ada Jill Schneider
Southbridge

Jacob Edwards Library
236 Main Street,
Thursday, April 28
6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Organizers: Mark Wagner and Margaret Morrissey

Whitman

Whitman Public Library
100 Webster St.
Monday, April 4
6pm
Organizer: Samantha Soucy

Chronological listing

April 1

Falmouth

West Falmouth Library
575 West Falmouth Highway
Friday, April 1
3:30-5 pm
Organizers: Alice Kociemba and the West Falmouth Library

April 4

Medford

Medford Public Library Poetry Discussion Group
111 High Street
First Monday of the month, April 4,
6:45 PM
Organizer: Patricia Schmieg

Whitman

Whitman Public Library
100 Webster St.
Monday, April 4
6 pm
Organizer: Samantha Soucy

April 5

Lancaster 

Thayer Memorial Library
717 Main St., Lancaster MA 01523
Tuesday, April 5
6:30 pm— for “Poetry and Potluck” *
Organizer: Nancy Hayes Clune, Adult Services Librarian
*Pick up a packet on the poems a week or so BEFORE the event, bring a dish (salad/main/dessert) and come discuss the poems over dinner.

North Reading

Flint Memorial Library
147 Park St.
Tuesday, April 5
7 PM
Organizer: Helena Minton

April 6

Marblehead

Abbot Public Library
Pleasant St.
Wednesday, April 6    10:30 – noon
[Wednesday, April 13    7-8:30 pm]
[Wednesday, April 20    10:30-noon]
Facilitator: Claire Keyes
*  For more information and to register, go to www.abbotlibrary.org or call 781-631-9454.

Somerset

the Somerset Public Library, “The Pleasure of Poetry”
1464 County Street
Wednesday, April 6
2-4 PM
Organizer: Ada Jill Schneider

April 8

Falmouth

Falmouth Public Library,  Poetry Book Discussion Group
300 Main Street
Friday, April 8th
1:00 – 2:30 pm
Organizer: Alice Kociemba

April 11

Barnstable

Unitarian Church of Barnstable, Poetry Group
Route 6A and Phinney’s Lane, Barnstable Village
Monday, April 11, 2011 (our regular meeting date and time)
7:30 PM
Organizer: Pam Emery 508-420-5286 *
*Please call and let us know you are planning to attend, so we can have enough copies of the poems for all participants.

April 12

Peabody

Peabody Institute Library*
82 Main Street
April 12, 2011
10:30 a.m.
Organizers: Kelley Rae Unger and J.D. Scrimgeour

*    For more information and to register, go to www.peabodylibrary.org, or
call 978-531-0100 ext. 10. 

April 13

Marblehead

Abbot Public Library
Pleasant St.
[Wednesday, April 6    10:30 –noon]
Wednesday, April 13    7-8:30 pm
[Wednesday, April 20    10:30-noon]
Facilitator: Claire Keyes
 *  For more information and to register, go to www.abbotlibrary.org or call 781-631-9454.

April 14

Concord

Concord Poetry Center
40 Stow Street
April 14th (Must pre-register but it is open to the public*)
7pm-10pm
Organizer: Kate Desjardins
* Workshop size limited. See website to register for this event: http://www.concordpoetry.org/index.phpBeverly

April 20

Marblehead

Abbot Public Library
Pleasant St.
[Wednesday, April 6    10:30 –noon]
[Wednesday, April 13    7-8:30 pm]
Wednesday, April 20    10:30-noon
Facilitator: Claire Keyes
 *  For more information and to register, go to www.abbotlibrary.org or call 781-631-9454.

April 21

Beverly

Beverly Public Library
32 Essex St.
Thursday, April 21
7 pm
Organizer: Matthew Martens

Lowell

Pollard Memorial Library
401 Merrimack St
Thursday, April 21
7 PM
Organizer: Sean Thibodeau, Community Planning Librarian

April 23

Marblehead

St Andrew’s Church

Lafayette Street

Saturday, April 23

7 pm

Organizer:  Charlotte Tannheimer

Quincy

Thomas Crane Public Library
40 Washington Street
Saturday, April 23, 2011
2:00 PM
Organizer: Harry R. Williams III, Library Director

April 25

Boston

UMass Boston’s Healey Library
Monday April 25
3:00 PM
Organizer:  George Hart <george.hart@umb.edu>
Facilitators: Joyce Peseroff, Shea Mullaney, Kevin Morrisette

April 26

North Brookfield

Haston Library Book Club
Haston Free Pubic Library, North Brookfield, MA
April 26
7:00 P.M.
Organizer: Ann Kidd

Reading

Reading Public Library
64 Middlesex Avenue
Tuesday, April 26th
7:00 to 8:30 PM
Organizer: Vicky Schubert