The University of Maine at Fort Kent’s Acadian Archives/Archives acadiennes will host Poetry Express, a collaborative poetry performance program, Wednesday, September 21st, and Thursday, September 22nd, on the University campus. The event is free and open to the public.
The theme surrounding the Poetry Express event will encompass Acadian Heritage.
On September 21st, the poetry workshop will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Acadian Archives. Program participants select Maine poems with support from Maine State Library and learn to perform those poems in a workshop taught by guest Poet Valerie Lawson.
Valerie Lawson’s work has been published in Café Review, About Place Journal, The Catch, Maine Farms, and others. Most recently, Lawson participated in the Writing the Land project, connecting protected spaces with poets. She wrote about Reversing Falls in Pembroke, conserved by the Downeast Coastal Conservancy, and with the help of the Maine Arts Commission, created a video of one of the poems. You may view the video at valerie-lawson.com.
At the Archives, on September 22nd, the poetry workshop will continue with a rehearsal of participants’ poetry presentations to be held from 3 to 4 p.m.
The Poetry Express event will conclude with a community poetry reading and conversation event for the public to come together and celebrate Maine poetry will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at the UMFK Bengal Lair.
If you would like to participate in the Poetry Express, please contact Assistant Professor of Business Michael Curran at (412) 200-0978.
Poetry Express is a collaborative poetry performance program in partnership with the Maine Humanities Council and the Maine State Library to bring poetry to UMFK.