Event
A Celebration of Poetry in Jazz
This creative music and poetry collaboration presents today's relevant and real poets in concert. This concert series is intended to bring our cultural heritage in jazz and poetry back to mainstream consciousness.
Our November concerts are scheduled to include poets Lawson Inada, Paul Hunter, Leanne Grabel and Emmett Wheatfall. The musicians include Noah Peterson, Andre St. James, Larry Nobori and special guests.
Lawson Inada was named Oregon State Poet in 1991 and served as the Oregon's Poet Laureate from 2006-2010. His collection of poems "Before the War" was the first book of poetry by an Asian American to be published by a major New York publishing house. Considered a pioneer in Japanese-American literature, Lawson has received many honors and awards including the American Book Award for "Legends from Camp" in 1992; the Oregon Book Award for Poetry in 1997, the Pushcart Prize for Poetry in 1996 and was honored at the White House for a "Salute of Poetry and American poets." He is a Professor Emeritus of English at Southern Oregon University, has received two Poetry Fellowships from the NEA, a Guggenheim Fellowship in Poetry in 2004 and currently serves as the Steinbeck Chair for the National Steinbeck Center.
Paul Hunter is a poet, musician, instrument-maker, teacher, and editor and publisher. For over a decade, he has produced letterpress books and broadsides under the imprint of Wood Works Press, located in Seattle. His poems have appeared in Beloit Poetry Journal, Bloomsbury Review, Iowa Review, North American Review, Poetry and Poetry Northwest. He has been a guest on PBS as a poet, and is the author of several chapbooks and four books of poetry: "Ripening" (2006) and "Breaking Ground" (2005 Washington State Book Award), both published by Silverfish Review Press; "Mockingbird" (1981, Jawbone Press) and "Pullman" (1976, University of Washington Press).
Leanne Grabel is a poet, a teacher, and co-founder of Cafe Lena, site of Portland's longest running poetry open mic. Known for her poetry-based theatrical performances and illustrated poetry chapbooks, including "Anne Sexton Was A Sexpot" and "The Last Weekend of Sylvia Plath", as well as her poetry collections "Lonesome & Very Quarrelsome Heroes" and "Short Poems by a Short Person." Grabel teaches language arts in a treatment center for incarcerated teenage girls which inspired her most recent work "Badgirls." Grabel's memoir "Brontosaurus" will be published in late 2011.
Emmett Wheatfall is a rising star in the world of poetry. He burst onto the scene with a music and poetry collaborative recording titled, "When I Was Young;" Emmett was described as "one of the most original and powerful debut jazz artists of the year" by Wine and Jazz Magazine. Emmett's newest CD of music and poetry, "I Loved You Once" is being release in late 2011. Emmett is a gifted orator; he has done voice-over work and is an annual presenter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s "I Have A Dream Speech" for various organizations during Black History Month. He has two published collections of poems, "He Sees Things" and "We Think We Know" and an audio CD of his poetry entitled, "I Speak." Emmett has several poems published online for organizations celebrating and promoting African-American Poetry.
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LocationEliot Hall at Reed College
3203 SE Woodstock Blvd
Portland, OR 97202
United States
Categories
| Kid Friendly: No |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
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