Hickory – North Carolina’s annual Poetry Day will be hosted by Lenoir Rhyne University in Hickory on April 21 from 11:30 to 3:30.
Poetry Day is sponsored by the North Carolina Poetry Society and Lenoir Rhyne University and will feature readings and workshops by NC poets, Steve Cushman and Catherine Carter.
Cushman is this year’s winner of the Lena Shull Award for best new poetry manuscript by a NC poet. His debut poetry collection, “How Birds Fly,” was selected for publication by St. Andrews University Press. Cushman, a resident of Greensboro, NC, is also the author of four novels, including, “Portisville,” winner of the 2004 Novello Literary Award, and two poetry chapbooks. He earned his MFA in Creative Writing from UNC Greensboro.
Carter directs the English Education Program at Western Carolina University, where she has served as the Gilbert Chappell Distinguished Poet for many years. She is the author of three published collections of poetry, the most recent being “Marks of the Witch,” from Jacar Press, and expects another, “Larvae of the Nearest,” to be released next year from Louisiana State University Press.
Cushman will lead a workshop entitled “Narrative Poetry: What’s the Story,” and Carter will teach “Swamp Monsters and Snotflowers: Poetry of the Nonhuman.” Both workshops will use sample poems and exercises to help students generate their own ideas and begin writing new works. The workshops are limited to 25 participants each and the cost is $10 per workshop. Pre-registration for the workshops is strongly encouraged, and can be done by contacting LRU professor, Scott Owens, at 828-234-4266 or [email protected]
Scott Owens www.scottowenspoet.com www.ncpoetrysociety.org
