For this presentation, Madden draws on his eight years of service as the first city poet laureate in South Carolina, his understanding of process and functions, and his interactions with other laureates across the nation in the Academy of American Poets program, as well as his research on the surge of poet laureate appointments across … Read more
(Grades 4-12 OR Adults) In this hands-on workshop, poet and educator Kimberly Simms will lead attendees in performing well-known contemporary poems or pre-written original poems. The workshop will feature a short craft lesson on voice and blocking. The workshop will also include a discussion on the history and current state of poetry slams. The session will … Read more
(K-12 OR Adults)In this delicious workshop, poet and educator Kimberly Simms will lead attendees in writing their own “recipe” style poems. Attendees will also discuss several sample poems to help them explore ideas about food and life. The workshop includes a structured poetic form and a craft lesson so that writers of any level can … Read more
(K-12 OR Adults)In this workshop, poet and educator Kimberly Simms will lead attendees in writing monologue style poems in the voice of a favorite literary character or historical figure. This workshop works particularly well when exploring a pre-chosen work of fiction or historical figure as part of a larger celebration, conference, or unit. The workshop … Read more
(Adults)After a disaster, communities find comfort in poems that speak to their sense of loss. Whether dealing with personal grief or processing a disaster, individuals can be overwhelmed with emotions. Yet a special type of healing comes from reading and hearing words that echo your own complex feelings. In this reading and discussion, poet Kimberly … Read more
(K-8)This workshop weaves together history and poetry to explore Southern themes through the poetry of Carl Sandburg. After introducing Carl Sandburg, Kimberly Simms will lead the group in a poetry writing AND/OR theater activity inspired by Carl Sandburg’s poetry. This experience can be tailored for different age groups and experience levels. Kimberly Simms is the … Read more
(All Ages)This poetry reading and performance will present a variety of original poems that will appeal to a broad audience on themes related to South Carolina. These poems are family friendly and entertaining to all ages. Audiences will enjoy crowd favorites such as Simms’ Turner Speaks My South poem “My South’s Boys” and her inspirational … Read more
(Grades 4 -12 OR Adults.)This reading, led by poet Kimberly Simms, connects audiences to the excitement of contemporary poetry. Kimberly Simms will share a variety of original and well-known engaging poems that explore the life and history of South Carolina. Kimberly Simms has garnered recognition for her poetry not only from esteemed literary journals, but … Read more
We may assume that 17th century poets, especially two who are priests, are boring, rigid, sanctimonious, and irrelevant to how contemporary life approaches spirituality. John Donne and George Herbert were, however, people like us – with families, career frustrations, facing illnesses and death, grappling with their relationship to God and their parishioners. We will look at … Read more
Henry Timrod’s stint as a war correspondent for South Carolina’s Charleston Mercury was brief, but the Civil War and his experiences at the battlefront were the inspiration for poems that created his legacy as an important 19th century Southern poet. His poetry, which is usually included in Southern studies and most anthologies of American poetry, was “borrowed” … Read more
Edgar Allan Poe was stationed at Fort Moultrie in 1827 and 1828 under the assumed name of Edgar Perry. While there, Poe was gathering material for the first detective stories in the English language, including The Goldbug, which was set on Sullivan’s Island. He also created the first American detective—C. Auguste Dupin, who was the … Read more
South Carolina is home to several nationally acclaimed African American poets who have left the state to pursue their crafts and careers in stunning fashion. Three South Carolina native poets have gone on to win the National Book Award for Poetry in the last decade. This lecture will explore the work of such poets as … Read more
Poetry puts thoughts into words into actions and has a unique ability to be converted into wealth, wealth amassed as confidence, influence, and quality of life. Though timeless, poetry has a distinct cultural relevance in 2021; new voices spring from everywhere—those of various races, genders, sexualities, religions, ethnicities—and appear everywhere—social media, presidential inaugurations, and even … Read more
Humphries wrote extensively during her career, but as her career progressed, so did retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic disorder causing loss of peripheral vision. In 2012, she learned to write poetry in community classes, then graduate poetry classes at UofSC, studying under poets such as Nikky Finney and Ed Madden, who would later become the editor … Read more
Humphries sees with more than her eyes; she perceives with her entire being—signature of a stride, voices as distinct as thumbprints, memory as toned and sleek as an elite athlete, blended with sense of humor and common sense. Ann’s sensory inventory infuses her poetry, which in turn operates as a vehicle for sense to explore … Read more
“Writers of the world, if you’ve got a story, I want to hear it. I promise it will follow me to my last breath.”—Pat Conroy Although beloved writer Pat Conroy (1945-2016) served as a classroom educator for little more than three years, he remained a teacher and mentor to his fellow writers throughout his lifetime. … Read more
“The poets of the world occupy a place of high honor in my city of books.”—Pat Conroy Best known as a beloved novelist and memoirist, internationally acclaimed author Pat Conroy (1945-2016) began his writing life wanting to be a poet. Over time, Conroy transitioned successfully to prose, incorporating the lyrical and descriptive elements he most … Read more
What would you call several unicorns if you were so lucky to see them? What does “avantular” mean? And why will your children and grandchildren smile when you tell them what the potentater is? If you love word play, you’ll love the other 47 questions and answers that go with the above.
This audience-participation program works best with a group that enjoys language, as they will be intimately involved and asked to volunteer further contributions to the lecturer’s list of Southern dialect, contemporary slang, folk etymologies, Spoonerisms, and more.
For the most part, this program is a poetry reading from the best comic verse of the last century or so. It seeks to restore light verse to the poetic canon which, in the lecturer’s opinion, is unfairly dominated by the seriously unfunny.
Emily Dickinson is the legendary reclusive poet from Amherst, Massachusetts. Although virtually unknown during her lifetime, Dickinson is now considered one of the greatest poets who ever lived. Her path to publication and her wit will surprise. Prepare to be entertained by her views on everything from cats to religion.
