Culture
Poets, Peacemakers To Gather For “A Ritual To Read Together”
By: Rachel Hartwick
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Poets, peacemakers and the general public will gather this Saturday at ARTS/West for "A Ritual To Read Together: A Night of Poetry, Music and Storytelling."
This event, which includes readings by local and visiting writers, coincides with the International Day of Peace.
Several contributors to the recent anthology A Ritual to Read Together: Poems in Conversation with William Stafford will read from their work. The book features new poems by Robert Bly, Wendy McVicker, Toi Derricotte, Ted Kooser and many others.
Athens author Becca J.R. Lachman launched the book project when she noticed many of her friends had written poems about or inspired by the famed poet and pacifist William Stafford. After searching for a book of similar poems, she came up short.
With this year marking the late author's centennial, Lachman felt the timing was right to publish such a collection.
"I sought out an anthology, but none existed," she told WOUB earlier this year. "Instead, I discovered in an online search that Stafford’s centennial celebration was slated for 2014. 'Are you awake?' the Universe was asking me. 'Are you listening?'"
Book signing at Little Professor Book Center with Becca J.R. Lachman, Wendy McVicker and Brad Modlin, photographed on William Stafford's 100th birthday. (photo: Michael Lachman)
The book takes its name from Stafford's famous poem 'A Ritual to Read to Each Other,' deliberately re-visioning the original title to reflect the community and diversity in such an anthology. Now Lachman aims to bring that community together at ARTS/West.
“We hope [this event] will allow for an intergenerational group of people interested in poetry and its role in nonviolence to gather and take a deep breath together,” she said. “So much of our news today is fueled by violence and supporting violence in various forms.”
While Saturday's event is free, a $5 donation is suggested. Proceeds will support ARTS/West, the Art Gish Peacemaking Fund and guest speakers for a war-and-peace-themed poetry workshop to be held at Ohio University.
"A Ritual To Read Together: A Night of Poetry, Music and Storytelling" is scheduled for 7:30-9 p.m. this Saturday at ARTS/West, located at 132 West State Street in Athens. Books and poetry merchandise will be available for purchase.
A Stafford-inspired poetry writing workshop and documentary viewing will take place at OU earlier in the day. For more information, contact Becca J.R. Lachman at lachmanr@ohio.edu.