As we near the 160th anniversary of John Brown’s ill-fated, October 1859 raid, author Craig Paulenich will read from his collection, “Old Brown,” which uses quotations, correspondence, and historical documents (and the Feejee Mermaid, David Koresh, Nat Turner,Timothy McVeigh, Peter Pan, and the Weathermen), to weave a tapestry of imagination and history, creating poems that range from catalogs of the dead to lyric meditations.
"Ablaze with searing and dramatic imagery, these acerbic reflections on the shadow man of resistance, brilliant and mad savior of abolition, 'the last Puritan,' Paulenich's OLD BROWN, will not disappoint. The poet's deft use of quotations, correspondence, and historical documents reminds me of the masters of such work, Paul Metcalf and Charles Reznikoff. This volume firmly places Paulenich in their esteemed company. Beyond historical reference, however, these poems reach into our own times with piercing relevance. Whether, despite the immensity of blood and gore, there will be a 'lantern in the house above the river,' you'll have to decide for yourself. It's clear these poems steer us close to the answer." ~Marc Harshman, author of Woman in Red Anorak
SPEAKER BIO: A professor of English at the Kent State Salem Campus, Dr. Craig Paulenich holds a master’s of fine arts in poetry from the University of Pittsburgh and a doctorate degree in English from Bowling Green State University. He is the author of two additional books of poetry, Drift of the Hunt and Blood Will Tell, and co-editor of Beneath a Single Moon: Buddhism in Contemporary American Poetry, an anthology of poems and essays from 45 contemporary American Buddhist poets. Paulenich is the co-founder and faculty with the Northeast Ohio Master of Fine Arts Program and was nominated three times for the Pushcart Prize. His poems have appeared in The Georgia Review, the South Carolina Review, Kansas Quarterly, and the Southern Poetry Review.
"Lunch With Books" is the library’s flagship program for adult patrons. These lunchtime programs feature authors, poets, musicians, historians, and more every Tuesday at noon. Complimentary beverages are provided. Bring your lunch, feed your brain!
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