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An Evening of Poetry 4/11/2012

What do Longfellow, Dickinson, and Lowell have in common? They are all Massachusetts poets! On Wednesday, April 11, 2012 from 6:00-8:00pm, the Wheeler Memorial Library is presenting “Common Threads” a poetry discussion and open mic hosted by area poets bg Thurston and Candace Curran. The first hour will be a discussion of the Massachusetts Poetry Association’s Common Threads poems for 2012, listed below:

  • “The Author to Her Book”– Anne Bradstreet
  • “The Fire of Drift-Wood”- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
  • “Poem 1129” – Emily Dickinson (tell it slant)
  • “For the Union Dead” – Robert Lowell
  • “The Hardness Scale” – Joyce Peseroff
  • “Horseface” – Sam Cornish
  • “if see no end in is” – Frank Bidart
  • “Out at Lanesville”- David Ferry
The poetry discussion will be followed by an Open Mic from 7:00-8:00pm. All poets and songwriters in the area are encouraged to share their work with the group. Participation in the poetry discussion is optional for Open Mic participants. Light refreshments for starving artists will be served. The library is pleased that our two presenters, fine poets themselves, have agreed to facilitate this exciting program.
bg Thurston is a former systems analyst and a graduate of Vermont College's MFA in Writing Program. Most of her poetry focuses on nature as an illumination of human thought and emotion. Her work has appeared in Tar River Poetry, The Comstock Review, The Worcester Review, and The Christian Science Monitor. Her chapbook, Saving the Lamb, was released by Finishing Line Press and was selected as one of Massachusetts Book Awards highly recommended reading choices in 2008.  bg’s volume of full-length poetry, Nightwalking, was released this year by Haleys of Athol. She currently resides on a sheep farm in Warwick, MA and teaches writing workshops both online and in a variety of academic venues.

Candace R. Curran, twice honored as Massachusetts Poet’s Seat Laureate, is also the founder of Interface, A Collaboration of Word and Image; a unique North Quabbin exhibition of original visual art and poetry. Since 1992, Interface has been presented at various locations around the area and has involved more than a hundred visual artists and writers in a dozen vibrant events. Curran is a frequent featured reader in area poetry venues. She has orchestrated several workshops for new and seasoned poets of all ages. Her poetry has appeared in the books Playing in Wrecks, Bone Cages, Bugaboos, in chapbooks published by Haley’s of Athol, and in numerous periodicals. Follow her work and appearances at http://candacecurran.blogspot.com/.

All library programs are free and open to the general public. This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Orange Public Libraries. Come help celebrate National Poetry Month and National Library Week at the Wheeler Memorial Library!