Montgomery County Literary Arts Council

Poet, Ed Hirsch at Lone Star College – Montgomery

mclac — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 03:29:24 +0000

In the early 1990’s, poet Ed Hirsch was on the faculty of the Creative Writing program at the University of Houston. Montgomery College was just starting up classes, and under the leadership of Dave Parsons also started a poetry reading series. One of the first readers that caused the Conroe Courier to write, “Culture comes to Conroe,” was Ed Hirsch. Much has happen to both the reading series and Ed since then.

A best –selling author and poet, President of the Guggenheim Foundation and recipient of many awards including the National Book Critics Circle Award and a MacArthur Genius Grant, Hirsch will read from his newest of eight collections of poetry, Living Fire: New and Selected Poems.

Thursday, April 8, 7 p.m.

Lone Star College-Montgomery Library.

Hirsch is author of eight collections of poetry and four prose books. His 1986 collection, Wild Gratitude, received the National Book Critics Circle Award; and For the Sleepwalkers (1981) received the Lavan Younger Award from the Academy of American Poets and the Delmore Schwartz Memorial Award from New York University.

Hirsch publishes regularly in numerous national magazines and journals and teaches creative writing at Wayne State University and the University of Houston. He lives in New York City.

This event is free to the public and includes a signing reception.

Writers in Performance is presented by Montgomery County Literary Arts Council, Lone Star College-Montgomery Library, Conroe Commission on Arts and Culture, Good Books in the Woods, Academy for Lifelong Learning and SWIRL, the student magazine of art and literature.

Good Books In The Woods will be at the event selling Ed’s books.

For more information call Dave Parsons (936) 524-6537.

(Photo source: Campion – NY Times)

Emily Dickinson Birthday Celebration Photo du Jour

mclac — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:21:08 +0000

December, 1999

December, 2009

Writers In Performance Photo du Jour

mclac — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:37:35 +0000

1990′s Writers In Performance Event at Barnes and Noble In The Woodlands

February Writers In Performance – Ben Fountain

mclac — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:37:40 +0000

Ben Fountain’s fiction has appeared in Harper’s, The Paris Review and Zoetrope: All Story. He has been awarded an O. Henry Prize, two Pushcart Prizes, the PEN.Hemingway Award. Brief Encounters With Che Guevara earlier won the 2007 Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award for distinguished first book of fiction, and Barnes & Noble honored Mr. Fountain with a “Discover Great New Writers Award.” The book also awarded the prestigious $50,000 Whiting Award. He lives with his wife and their two children in Dallas, Texas.

February 18, Thursday, 7:00 p.m. in the Lone Star College – Montgomery library.

Learn more about the Writers In Performance Series spring schedule by clicking here.

Posted by: kenne g. turner

Why I Hate Telling People I Teach English

mclac — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:09:53 +0000

During her reading December reading at Lone Star College – Montgomery, Wendy Barker read a recently written poem, “Why I Hate Telling People I Teach English,” which I was able to record and post on my blog – http://kenneturner.wordpress.com/2009/12/13/why-i-hate-telling-people-i-teach-english/

Posted by: kenne g. turner

Wendy Barker – “Nothing Between Us”

mclac — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 20:33:12 +0000

Image by kenne

Poet Wendy Barker read from her new novel in prose poetry, Nothing Between Us – The Berkeley Years this past Thursday evening. You can read more about her appearance and view a video on my blog site http://kenneturner.wordpress.com/2009/12/12/wendy-barker-nothing-between-us/

posted by: kenne g. turner

December MCLAC Events

mclac — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:52:46 +0000

December 9, Wednesday, 7:00 PM, LSC-MONTGOMERY (Library)

WENDY BARKER has published six collections of poetry. Her book, Way of Whiteness, won the Writers League of Texas Violet Crown Award for Poetry in 2000 and was nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award for Poetry Barker, Poet in Residence at UTSA, will read from her award-winning poetry books and poems from her newest books, Things of the Weather and Nothing Between Us: The Berkley Years.

December 10, Thursday, 3:00 PM PANEL,

LSC- MONTGOMERY LIBRARY

2009 ANNUAL EMILY DICKINSON BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

A panel of distinguished Dickinson scholars: Dr. Martha Nell Smith, PhD (University of Maryland), Janet Mcann, PhD (Texas A&M University),Wendy Barker, PhD (University of Texas San Antonio) will discuss Emily Dickinson’s relationship with the men in her life. Brenda Wineapple’s new book that details her remarkable friendship with Thomas Wentworth Higginson, White Heat, will be the catalytic source to the discussion of WHITE HEAT: THE MEN IN DICKINSON ’S LIFE.

7:00 PM GATHERING OF POETS READING,

THE CORNER PUB (on the square in Conroe )

We will again have twenty distinguished poets including Texas State Poet Laureate, Paul Ruffin, creative writing professors, the paneland community literary leaders, lead by Montgomery County Poet Laureate Dave Parsons, will read their favorite Emily Dickinson poem as well as one of their own works.

MARION RUSSELL DICKSON will kick of the event with a performance of opera pieces written to the words of Emily Dickinson’s poems. Ms. Dickson’s most recent of many honors was her recital debut in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, which took place in March of 2009. Currently, Ms. Dickson is a Guest Artist with New York City based Distinguished Concerts International, New York and is on the music faculty at The University of St. Thomas.

Poster by: Dave Parsons

Lowell Mick White, October Writers in Performance Series Presenter

mclac — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 20:38:38 +0000

Lowell Mick White at 2008 Walt Whitman Annual Birthday Party (Image by kenne)

Writers in Performance Hosts Texas Fiction Writer

Author of the just published novel, That Demon Life, Lowell Mick White, will read and discuss his work at 7 p.m., Thursday, October 15 at Lone Star College-Montgomery Library.

White’s talent as a fiction writer has been affirmed by publication in more than two dozen of the nation’s most respected literary journals. In 1998, he was awarded the Dobie-Paisano Fellowship by the University of Texas and the Texas Institute of Letters.

In 2008, White’s collection of short stories, Long Time Ago Good, was published by Slough Press.

A long-time Texas, White lived in Austin for 25 years, where he says he made a living working at various times as a cab driver, shade tree salesman and an Internal Revenue Service bureaucrat.

Currently pursuing his Ph.D. at Texas A & M University, White specializes in creative writing and regional literatures. He also teaches creative writing and composition at the university.

The event includes a book-signing reception and is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Dave Parsons (936) 524-6537.

Posted by: kenne g. turner

2009 Nobel Prize Winner for Literature – Herta Muller

mclac — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 20:26:01 +0000

The 2009 Nobel Prize for Literature is Herta Muller. infloox, the website on influential people’s influential books has a good entry Ms. Muller.

Posted by kenne g. turner

Society of the 5th Cave Book Selections

mclac — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 23:57:10 +0000

The next meeting of the Society of the Fifth Cave will be at Griffin’s home. The book is “The Monster of Florence” by Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi.

The November book is “American Lion” and is hosted by George Boyle. He will tell us the selected Sunday soon.

The December book is “Europe Central” by William T. Vollmann. It will be hosted by Dick Rohfritch.

Posted by kenne g. turner