Bike on by the Urban Poetry Mailbox
Bike on by the Urban Poetry Mailbox: Poet, Tucson resident, and library associate Elizabeth Salper dreamed up the Urban Poetry Pollinator project to help spread the joy of poetry in unexpected places. One of those places is in the heart of her neighborhood, Broadmoor-Broadway, where you can find a funky rooster atop a colorful mailbox on the Treat Ave. sidewalk walkway, just north of Arroyo Chico. Inside the mailbox are snippets of poems, some original, some reproduced from other writers, and a notebook and pen. Next to the mailbox is a bench where you can sit and enjoy a poem, or even pen one yourself to leave in the box. If you happen on the mailbox and it’s empty, just flip up the mailbox flag and neighbors will know it’s time to restock it.
The idea came to Elizabeth via Portland, “Portland is the home of the ‘Poetry Box’. So when a neighbor in the Garden District told me about the Poetry Box idea, I looked to see what Portland was doing. I tweaked the idea a bit, as I am in love with mailboxes, so wanted to create a Poetry Mailbox,” recalls Elizabeth.
The Urban Poetry Pollinators have planned a series of events, some around the mailbox and some at pop-up locations which are announced on the Instagram account @UrbanPoetryPollinators, designed to “pollinate” poetry throughout the city. “Ride by Fridays” will take place the last Friday of every month and is a special opportunity for people on bicycles to check out that week’s content inside the poetry mailbox. “Chalk it UPP” brings poetry to the masses by chalking poems and drawings in surprise locations all over Tucson.
To find out more information or to inquire about upcoming events, email: [email protected]
Listen to the extended interview with Elizabeth here:
Bike on by the Urban Poetry Mailbox
Bike on by the Urban Poetry Mailbox
Some photos from the mailbox dedication ceremony, earlier this year:
