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!