St. John’s College, in partnership with Annapolis Home Magazine, is launching a new fall series called Poets in the Conversation Room. The series will be hosted by Grace Cavalieri, a renowned poet, author, playwright, and the tenth Maryland Poet Laureate.
“Annapolis needs poetry,” said Kymberly Taylor, poet and Editor-in-Chief of Annapolis Home Magazine. “It needs this incredible art form that helps us feel things beyond what we hear and read online, on television, and in the news.”
Cavalieri will be joined by award-winning poets including David Keplinger, Carolyn Forche, and Remica Bingham-Risher. Additionally, Andrew Wong will read poetry from the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and engage in conversation with St. John’s faculty member Stella Zhu, who is a Chinese translator.
St. John’s College President Nora Demleitner expressed enthusiasm for the series, stating, “There couldn’t be a more fitting partnership for the college than Poets in the Conversation Room. At the college, students spend four years reading and discussing great classical poets—from Homer to Baudelaire. This is a wonderful opportunity to expose them to more modern poetry while also welcoming and engaging the Annapolis community.”
Poetry readings will take place on the first Saturday of each month from September to December at 2 p.m. in the Conversation Room of Mellon Hall, located at 60 College Ave, Annapolis, MD 21401. Each reading will last 40 minutes, followed by a 20-minute question period. The series is free and open to the public, with seating available on a first-come, first-served basis. Additional dates for the spring are also being planned. Works by the featured poets will be displayed at the St. John’s College Greenfield Library and available for purchase at the college bookstore.
Cavalieri believes the series will attract a large audience. “I think it’s going to create a tremendous audience because it’s also entertaining,” she said. “Poetry speaks to how we feel and how it is to be alive in this world—and who does not want to hear that?”
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