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| Posted 09.04.08 |
U.S. Laureate Poet Kicks-Off Russell House Series
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 A reading of dark, whimsy poems by outgoing U.S. Poet Laureate Charles Simic
(pictured at right)
and contemporary madrigals will kick off the 2008-09 Russell House Series of
Distinguished Writers/New Voices Sept. 14.
The Russell House Series features concerts, prose, poetry and music
throughout the academic year.
Robert Carl, chair of composition department at the Hartt School, University
of Hartford, has set 15 of Simic’s poems for an ensemble of four solo
voices, directed by Neely Bruce, professor of music. The Simic Songs,
composed in 2005, are contemporary madrigals that match the economy and dark
vision of the poet. Simic will present a reading of the texts, followed by
the performance of the music.
Simic is the author of 26 volumes of critically acclaimed poetry, and the
poetry critic for The New York Review of Books. He is the winner of the
Pulitzer Prize, a MacArthur “genius” award, and the Wallace Steven Prize of
the Academy of American Poets. He is also a regular contributor to The New
Yorker. He taught for many years at the University of New Hampshire.
The world premier of this musical work will begin at 7 p.m. Sept. 14 in the
Memorial Chapel. The event is free and open to the public.
The Russell House Series schedule continues with Gayle Pemberton, former
professor of English, African American Studies, and American Studies at
Wesleyan speaks at Russell House at 8 p.m. Sept. 17;
M. NourbeSe Philip, Wesleyan University Press poet and Guggenheim Fellow,
speaks at Russell House at 8 p.m. Sept. 24;
“Songs of Love and Loss” will be performed at 3 p.m. Sept. 28 in Russell
House. This program features music by Ravel, Britten and contemporary
composers Tobenski and Krouse. Music is performed by Megan Sesma, harp,
Patricia Schuman, soprano, and Elizabeth Detweiler Jackson, flute;
Sue Burkhart and Ed Vadas perform “Ameri-mf-cana” at 3 p.m. Oct. 12 in
Russell House. Guitarists and singers, Burkhart and Vadas perform an
arresting blend of jazz, country, folk, old timey, blues and purely original
material in an eclectic, humorous and sophisticated manner.
Michael Palmer, a winner of the Wallace Stevens Award for poetry, will speak
at Russell House at 8 p.m. Oct. 15.
Support for this series is provided by the Wesleyan Writing Program, the
Center for the Arts, the Edward W. Snowdon Fund, Wesleyan University Press,
the Center for the Humanities, the Department of English and the Hartt
School.
Additional Russell House Series events will be posted online at
http://www.wesleyan.edu/writing/distinguished_writers/.
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Photo of Charles Simic by Richard
Drew/Associated Press |
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