You may be one of the fortunate that have seen the Walking Mall Poet in action on the downtown Walking Mall in Winchester. If you have not, this poet writes personalized poems for folks on the spot with his manual typewriter. He does this amazing creativity after a few questions, right on the paper in his typewriter.The Friends of HRLS are pleased to be bringing him to the library for two programs on Zoom this month. This will be your chance to spend time with your very own poet.

About the poet:
Joseph M. Jablonski, performing under the name “Walking Mall Poet” has been creating live typewritten art and poetry on the Old Town Winchester Walking Mall for nearly a year and a half, and has been writing poetry for the past five years. He is a member of the With Ink typewriter poets collective. He likes poetry, including Haikus, Sonnets, and Free Verse. He works on any topic, often writing love poems, but has been able to write to help with grief, celebration, mystery, surprise and joy He has said that the words of a fellow poet linger in his mind in the midst of COVID. “You are the historian of how it feels.”

About the programs:
This program begins with a 30-minute interview that is free and open to the public. After this, there will be reserved 15-minute appointments for private poetry with the Walking Mall Poet using the library’s Zoom reservation system. You will be able to stay in the waiting room until it is your time with Joseph. There will be a  camera mounted directly over the typewriter so you can see the poem created right before your eyes.The poem will be mailed to you - or you can pick it up at the library.  You must register for your private time at our website. There are only six spaces for this evening's program.

Funding has been provided by Virginia Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act economic stabilization plan of 2020.
For more information, please visit www.VirginiaHumanities.org