In honor of Poetry Month this April, here are some film recommendations available at the J. Willard Marriott Library, recommended by Joni Clayton.

Film recommendations:

Amiri Baraka: A Conversation with Maya Angelou

Baraka discusses, with Maya Angelou, the use of literature as a catalyst for political change. Reading from his poem “Funk Lore”, Baraka explains how he uses jazz and blues rhythms to create metric “melody” within his poems.

Classic Poetry Read by Claire Bloom

Claire Bloom reads poetry excerpts include selections from T.S. Eliot, Lord Byron, A.E. Housman, Sir Philip Sydney, William Carlos Williams, Ezra Pound, and medieval carols.

Elizabeth Bishop

From childhood in Nova Scotia to travels in Brazil, this program illustrates the geographic spirit of Bishop’s life and works with scenes from her poems.

Love’s Confusing Joy

Coleman Barks has dedicated much of his life’s work to introducing the 13th-century Islamic mystic Jelaluddin Rumi to contemporary audiences. Barks brings Rumi to life through his poems.

Navigating Seattle’s Ever-Evolving Streets Through Poetry

How do you capture Seattle’s complications, quirks and ever-changing population? A new digital project is mapping out the evolving city by collecting poems that tell unique stories.

Poem

A modern dance based on Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s poem “Autobiography”, choreographed by Sophie Maslow to music by Duke Ellington.

Rabbits and Fire and Bear Fat

Two poems by Linda Hogan and Alberto Rios, follow wolves, jackrabbits, and other animals across the harsh Great Plains and Sonoran Desert.

Voices Beyond the Wall

Rescued from the streets of San Pedro Sula, Honduras, murder capital of the world, orphaned girls find their voices in poetry as they heal traumas of their past and prepare to transition into an uncertain future.