Poetry is an expression of self, a rhythmic collection of words that promote a deeper meaning that can either be kept private, or shared among others.

The night will be dedicated to the internationally known poet, Mary Oliver.

“It’s a pre-event to generate enthusiasm to her appearance at UC Santa Barbara,” said director of the poetry night, Chella Courington. “The point is to engage people with Mary Oliver.”

The event will fire off with an introduction by Courington featuring Santa Barbara Poet Laureate, Barry Spacks. Spacks will then speak about Oliver and her accomplishments in the poetry world and her impact on environmental concerns.

From there, the program will flow into the reading of four of Oliver’s poems read by local writers Lois Klein, Carol DeCania, Glenna Luscha and Ted Chiles.

Courington said that attendees will then be asked to congregate in small groups for about 10 minutes to deliberate and write about what they heard. The audience will then have a chance to volunteer what they just wrote, or to share a piece that they brought with them, personal or otherwise.

“It’s a way to get more engagement from the audience,” said Courington, writer and English professor.

The poetry night event is open to anyone who wants to attend, students and community members alike. Courington added the night will be based on the model of the National Writing Project, a group that strives to improve writing and learning in the nation’s schools. Their model encourages seeing or hearing something that triggers the imagination, stimulating people to write.

Mary Oliver, who won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry for her book “American Primitive,” has written some 25 books of poems and essays. She has also won the National Book Award. Much of her work centers on wildlife and nature. Oliver will not be in attendance at the City College Open Mic Poetry night.

“We are all students of poetry, of Mary Oliver,” said Courington. “We are always in the process of learning.”

After the event has ended the participants are invited to a reception where they may partake in snacks and beverages.

The event is free with contributions accepted. The Atkinson Gallery is located on East campus in Humanities 202.

The occasion will serve as a preliminary listen for her upcoming reading at Univeristy of C alifornia Santa Barbara on April 8 in Campbell Hall.

“We’re lucky that we’re getting a reading from her,” Courington said of Oliver, who rarely does interviews or public readings.

So come one, come all and gather around, people throughout this dainty town. Follow your ears and listen, for a night where the words of Mary Oliver will glisten.