A GATHERING OF LAUREATES (CLP)
Hartness Pavilion
Thursday, April 21, 4:00 PM
This event will be a joint poetry reading and discussion by South Carolina’s three appointed Poets Laureate: SC Laureate Marjory Wentworth, who has held her office since 2003; Laurel Blossom, the Poet Laureate (since 2014) of Edgefield, SC; and Ed Madden, the recently-appointed Poet Laureate of Columbia, SC. Each poet will give a short reading from their work in the first half of the program. In the second half, each poet will be asked by the moderator to speak about their work as a poet laureate: what they do, how they try to use poetry in their respective communities, and how poetry can fulfill both a civic function as well as serve as a community voice for the arts. As each poet is doing different activities in communities of different sizes, their collective shared experiences will allow the audience to reflect on the role and significance of poetry in everyday life.
Books will be available for purchase and signing after the program. Refreshments provided. Sponsored by the Friends of the Furman University Libraries.