Julia Older is the invited poet for National Poetry Month on the NH Arts Council Poet Showcase from April 4-17.

Two poems are featured from her new book Tahirih Unveiled, published by Turning Point, an imprint dedicated to the art of story in poetry.

In Older's moving booklength poem, the intimate yet resonant voice of poet/martyr Tahirih (1818-54) opens new perspectives on the Persian culture — yesterday and today.

Check out the poet wearing one of her poems or click here for the NH Arts Council Poet Showcase. Past Showcase entries also are accessible.

The 200th anniversary birth of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is being celebrated by a commemorative stamp issued this month by the U.S. Postal Service.

In 1861 The Atlantic Monthly published Longfellow's famous narrative poem "Paul Revere's Ride," the same year the magazine printed NH poet Celia Thaxter's first poem "Land-locked." Both poems became so popular they were memorized and recited in schools throughout the country.

Thaxter and Longfellow were life-long friends. Celia often invited him to her island cottage on the Isles of Shoals, and Henry invited her to his Cambridge home to meet the legendary British author Charles Dickens, who was touring the U.S.

Dickens and Longfellow are part of the novel The Island Queen; Celia Thaxter of the Isles of Shoals. After a second Appledore Books printing in 1998, author Julia Older was invited to The Longfellow House Summer Poetry Series to read the work of Celia Thaxter.