Folks will have two opportunities to hear award-winning Albuquerque poet Rebecca Aronson on April 12 at Seward County Community College. Aronson will read her poetry and answer questions from the audience at a noon-1 p.m. session in the SCCC library. That evening, she will be a guest and give a brief reading at the 10th annual Poetry Coffeehouse, set for 7 p.m. in the SCCC Student Union.
Rebecca Aronson is the author of Ghost Child of the Atalanta Bloom, winner of the 2016 Orison Books poetry prize and finalist for the 2017 Arizona/New Mexico book awards, and Creature, Creature, winner of the Main-Traveled Roads Poetry Prize (2007). She has been a recipient of a Prairie Schooner Strousse Award, the Loft’s Speakeasy Poetry Prize, and a 2018 Tennessee Williams Scholarship to Sewanee. She has poems recently in Plume, South Florida Poetry Journal, Tishman Review, Sugarhouse Review, Quarterly West, and others. She is co-founder and co-host of Bad Mouth, a series of words and music in Albuquerque, where she also teaches writing. Her website is http://rebmarack.wixsite.com/rebecca.
Refreshments will be available at the noon library reading, and those who attend are also welcome to bring a sack lunch.
The evening Poetry Coffeehouse will feature gourmet coffees, finger foods, and live music. Winners of poetry contests, which will be judged by Aronson, will be announced and will read their poetry.
“This is the 10th year we have hosted a poetry coffee house, and the event has become a staple in Liberal,” said SCCC English Instructor and event organizer Janice Northerns. A published poet herself, Northerns said the opportunity for students to hear poets read work, and share their own pieces, is priceless.
“We started this as a way to encourage writing on campus and in Liberal and observe National Poetry Month every April,” she said. “I see students get up to read their award-winning poems, and that’s powerful. We have repeat entrants, and there is a sense of community and affirmation — that writing poetry is worthwhile and valuable.”
The events are free to the public. Aronson’s books will be available for purchase at both events, and she will be on hand to sign copies.
For more information, call Terri Barnes at 620-417-1451.
