Guest Author Visits St. Cloud Library for National Poetry Month

ST. CLOUD -- A writer from the Twin Cities visited St. Cloud on Wednesday afternoon as part of National Poetry Month. Guest author Paige Riehl did a reading of her poetry collection Suspension at Great River Regional Library.

The Read Poetry St. Cloud event was a first for Lyricality, an up-and-coming organization that focuses on helping people connect to the meaningfulness and relevance of poetry in their own lives.

Riehl says the central theme of her book revolves around a feeling many of us are familiar with.

It really has some themes of where I try to explore the complexities of international adoption, of losing someone you love, death, of travel, and the title of the book comes from this idea that when you are waiting for something to happen, you’re kind of in this suspended state.

In the book, Riehl shares personal and emotional stories including her international adoption journey and the loss of her grandmother. She says poetry is more accessible than many people think.

I think that most poets do not write with the intent of burying a meaning in the poem that you have to, only if you’re really smart, figure out. I think we have too many experiences in our younger years where that’s the idea that we get, that there’s a hidden meaning and that somehow if you don’t get it, then you’re not smart enough to get it.

Lyricality director Tracy Rittmueller says the group aims to one day create a state-wide “read local” poetry event.