Wheatgrass Books invites the community to celebrate the opening of National Poetry Month with a special two-part evening on Thursday, April 2, 2026, featuring the opening reception for The Lost Words Poetry and Art Collaboration followed by a dynamic poetry and music program.
The evening begins at 5:30 PM with a reception marking the opening of The Lost Words Poetry and Art Collaboration, an exhibition of original collaborative works inspired by The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane. For this project, six poets and six visual artists were paired to create new works responding to “lost words” of nature—terms naming plants, animals, landscapes, and natural phenomena that have slipped from everyday language or reflect elements of the natural world now under threat.
The collaborations celebrate the intersection of language, image, and ecology, calling attention to what is quietly disappearing and what remains worth holding onto. Artists interpret their chosen words expansively across a range of visual media, while poets contribute newly written or specially developed poems created in conversation with their artistic partners. The completed works will be exhibited at Wheatgrass Books throughout National Poetry Month.
At 7:00 PM, the celebration continues with an evening of voice, verse, and music, officially launching National Poetry Month at Wheatgrass Books. This round-style program features readings by poets Gabe Furshong, Melissa Kwasny, and Montana Poet Laureate, Allen Morris Jones. The readings will be interwoven with original songs by Aaron Parrett, creating a lively, conversational flow between poetry and music.
To commemorate the evening, Aaron Parrett of Territorial Press will create a broadside triptych, featuring one poem from each participating poet that ties the voices of the night together and celebrates the enduring power of poetry in community.
Together, these events invite readers, writers, artists, and music lovers to gather in shared attention to language, creativity, and the living world—opening National Poetry Month with collaboration, conversation, and care.