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The Telepoem Booth

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KNAU/Gillian Ferris

This April marks the 20th anniversary of National Poetry Month. Arizona-based writer and artist Elizabeth Hellstern created a special public art installation for the occasion, The Telepoem Booth. It combines the vintage technology of a rotary phone booth with the modern technology of mp3 files. Hellstern recorded more than 200 poems - read by their authors - and programmed them into a 7o's-era phone booth. All you have to do is look in the Poem Directory and dial. The Telepoem Booth is currently set up on a sidewalk in downtown Flagstaff. That's where Arizona Public Radio's Gillian Ferris caught up with its inventor and produced this audio postcard.

The Poem Directory inside the Telepoem Booth
Credit KNAU/Gillian Ferris

Included in this audio postcard is the poetry of Holly Troy, Eric DeViggi, Hawk Ramos and Will Williams.

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Gillian Ferris was the News Director and Managing Editor for KNAU.