Name: Cape Cod's Steeple Street Poets: Poems of Place, with an Open Mic
Start: 2015-05-02T14:00:00-0400
End: 2015-05-02T15:00:00-0400

Welcome to the schedule of the 2015 Massachusetts Poetry Festival, happening May 1-3 in the beautiful and historic town of Salem!

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Cape Cod's Steeple Street Poets: Poems of Place, with an Open Mic FULL

Limited Capacity seats available

Poetry of place is associated with, but not limited to the natural world. Poetry can be inspired by the workplace, a birthplace, an urban or rural landscape. The poetry of Philip Levine, Ted Kooser and B.H. Fairchild come to mind. Cape Cod has inspired poets such as Mary Oliver, Mark Doty, Brendan Galvin, Stanley Kunitz and Marge Piercy. The Steeple Street Poets, co-founders, James Kershner and Robin Smith-Johnson, and members, Judith Askew, Samm Carlton, Maeve Hitzenbuhler, Karen Klein, Laurel Kornhiser, Christina Laurie, Judith Partelow, Rich Youmans and Sheila Whitehouse will poems responding their connection with "place." Alice Kociemba will invite audience members to read a poem of place, as time allows.

Moderators

Alice Kociemba

Founding Director, Calliope—Poetry for Community

Alice Kociemba is a co-editor of From the Farther Shore: Discovering Cape Cod and the Islands Through Poetry (Bass River Press, forthcoming) along with Robin Smith-Johnson and Rich Youmans. She is founding director of Calliope Poetry and is the author of Bourne Bridge (Turning Point... Read More →

Speakers

J. Lorraine Brown

J. Lorraine Brown received a MA Grant and VSC Fellowship. She is a PNWA Zola Award winner. Poet Laureate Ted Kooser chose her poem for his nationwide newspaper column. Her chapbook, Skating on Bones, was a 2012 “Must-Read” Book of Poetry. She was included in Cape Cod’s Broadsides... Read More →

James Kershner

professor, Cape Cod Community College

James Kershner is the co-founder of Steeple Street Poets and a professor at Cape Cod Community College, where he teaches a variety of classes, including creative writing. He is the author of The Elements of News Writing, and the upcoming text, The Elements of Academic Writing.

Judith Partelow

My chapbooks are: A Woman's Heart and Carry Me Back, A Woman's Life in Poetry. I've been a featured reader at many venues including the Wellfleet Library, the Brewster Library, South Yarmouth Library, Provincetown Library, and will be at the Eastham Library in October 2021. I'm... Read More →

Robin Smith-Johnson

Robin Smith-Johnson teaches at Cape Cod Community College. She is the author of two books of poetry: Dream of the Antique Dealer’s Daughter (Word Poetry, 2013), and Gale Warnings (Finishing Line Press, 2016), as well as being a co-founder of the Steeple Street Poets. Robin lives... Read More →

Sheila Whitehouse

Rich Youmans

Rich Youmans's work has appeared in diverse publications, including Contemporary Haibun Online (where he currently serves as editor in chief), Cape Cod Poetry Review, the Cape Cod Times, and The Best Small Fictions 2020 (Sonder Press). He lives in North Falmouth with his wife, Alice... Read More →

Saturday May 2, 2015 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Old Town Hall, 2nd floor

Group Reading

The Massachusetts Poetry Festival 2015