Explore and create your own poetry with award-winning author Jaimie Engle. An instructional session on epigraph poetry will be followed by the [optional] opportunity for students to make their poetic voices heard. For this session, rather than a smartphone, it is recommended to use a tablet, laptop, or computer with a webcam. Register and attend this event for a chance to win a free book.

Writing prompt: Choose your FAVORITE character from a book, tv show, or movie. What would their epitaph look like? Think about what YOU love about them, what their best known for, or what others say about them to get started. Remember, epitaphs are supposed to be clever, silly, and thoughtful (think the gravestones at Disney World’s Haunted Mansion ride for ideas).

NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. Presented in cooperation with the Friends of the Library of Tampa-Hillsborough County, Inc. Please visit HCPLC.org/NEABigRead for more events and information.