Best known as the author and illustrator of the Arthur books and television series, Marc Brown has been announced as the artist of the 2023 National Poetry Month poster. As part of a joint effort between the Academy of American Poets and Scholastic, this year’s poster will spotlight Brown’s tribute to the poem “Carrying,” written by U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón, and will be distributed free of charge to more than 85,000 schools, libraries, bookstores, and families nationwide.
Brown was chosen by Scholastic to create the artwork for the 2023 poster, a pastoral painting that incorporates the poem’s line, “We were all meant for something.” The artist was given free rein in selecting a fitting verse and developing his illustration. “He was also asked to keep in mind that many younger audiences see the poster in classrooms and libraries—and that it can often serve as their first introduction point to poetry,” said Michelle Campagna, advertising and marketing director for the Academy of American Poets.
Brown said in a statement, “One great gift I received from doing this painting was discovering the beautiful poetry of Ada Limón. This particular poem, ‘Carrying,’ was a cinematic experience. I could see the rolling meadows, the horses, and smell the cold, wet fields.” Brown credited the opportunity for allowing him to “flex [his] painting muscles” and Limón “for helping us see and feel our world more deeply through the power of your words.”
Every April, the Academy organizes National Poetry Month and provides free resources to teachers and librarians to help promote the annual literary celebration. The official poster is distributed through partnerships with the American Booksellers Association, the American Library Association, and the National Council of Teachers of English. This year marks the centennial anniversary of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards program, which is administered by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers; the initiative is part of the Poetry Coalition, managed by the Academy.
“The Academy of American Poets expects that Marc Brown’s National Poetry Month poster will bring a reassuring touch of brightness to classrooms and libraries across the United States this spring, assuring students of all ages and backgrounds that they are, as Ada Limón writes, ‘all meant for something,’" said Tess O’Dwyer, chair of the board, in a statement. “We’re grateful to our good friends at Scholastic and to teachers and librarians everywhere who enliven minds and embolden hearts with art and poetry.”
To obtain a free copy of the 2023 National Poetry Month poster, click here.
