Latrobe filled with poets, poetry events throughout April

Sometimes, Sri Lanka native Indran Amirthanayagam is overwhelmed by an emotion. It could be sadness, or it could be great joy.

“I want to get it out,” said Amirthanayagam, 64, of Washington, D.C., who has been writing poetry since the age of 14. “I love words. They communicate and translate the emotion that we have as human beings. I feel compelled to create poetry. When I’m not doing it, I don’t feel good.”

Amirthanayagam’s work has appeared in several books he has authored, as well as magazines and newspapers around the world. Amirthanayagam, himself, will appear to host a poetry reading at Saint Vincent College’s Verostko Art Gallery on April 22, as part of a full month of poetry- centered events happening in the Latrobe area in celebration of National Poetry Month.

Amirthanayagam was born in Ceylon, which today is known as Sri Lanka. He is a member of the Tamil ethnic group, which clashed with government officials for more than a quarter-century. During that time, more than 150,000 Tamil civilians left the South Asian island for other countries.

Amirthanayagam’s family moved first to London, and then to Hawaii, where Amirthanayagam attended the same school as former President Barack Obama. (“He was a year behind me,” Amirthanayagam said.)

Amirthanayagam’s father was also a poet. He said growing up around the art form, combined with his experience of being dropped into the American melting pot of late-1970s Hawaii, was a big part of why he continues poetry today.

“Being among all these different cultures was my first experience in the U.S., and I felt at home almost instantly,” he said. “I feel lucky and blessed to be a poet. I have this resource available to me that works as meditation, as therapy and as a platform to speak to the community and to speak truth to power.”

The monthlong “Latrobe Poetry Neighborhood” will include a variety of events, readings and workshops.

In addition, organizers Jeannine Pitas and Bobbie Hineline said they’ve received more than 75 submissions from local poets, many of which will be printed on placards and put on display throughout Latrobe during April.

They include:

• Tuesday : Ekphrastic poetry workshop, writing poems based on visual art, 5:30- 7:30 p.m. at the art center.

• April 15: Grief poetry workshop, 6 p.m at Trinity Lutheran Church, 331 Weldon St. in Latrobe.

• April 19: “Dead Poets Society,” with attendees reading their favorite poems, 11 a.m. at the Adams Memorial Library, 1112 Ligonier St. in Latrobe.

• April 22: Amirthanayagam poetry reading as part of the Ragan Poetry Competition at Saint Vincent College. Winners of the competition will also be reading their work.

• April 24: Mystical poetry presentation, 6 p.m at Eclectique, 215 Main St. in Latrobe.

• April 27: Nature poetry walk, 4 p.m., leaving from the barn at the Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve, 744 Walzer Way in Unity.

• April 28: An evening of poetry and music, 6-7:30 p.m. at the art center.