During A Celebration of Women’s Poetry, the first open-mic reading in the short history of the Conversations @ Efroymson series, the forum matched the content. As much as the words off the page were empowering, so too was the sight of tenured professors trading notes with undergrads about which poetry collection to pick up next. Continue reading
This fall’s Conversations @ Efroymson line-up has been announced, and it includes an open mic women’s poetry reading, a visit from Michael Martone on his Double-Wide World Tour, a Writer’s Harvest featuring Indy rockstars John Green, Susan Neville and Ben Winters, and to top it all off: a creative writing contest.
A complement to Butler’s Visiting Writers Series, Conversations @ Efroymson is designed to be smaller, hands-on and interactive. One-to-one access to writers, editors, publishers and critics, as well as the greater Butler and Indianapolis community, but appropriately sized to fit within the cozy confines of the Efroymson house.
“People don’t have communities anymore,” MFA Program Director Hilene Flanzbaum explains. “We go to VWS readings to sit and listen. The Conversations series provides closer contact with various people in the profession, not just famous writers. It’s about talking together and building something.”
The series kicks off September 24 with an open-mic celebration of women’s poetry co-sponsored by the Gender, Women & Sexuality Studies program. Open to all Butler staff, faculty and students, we want to hear Angelou, Waldman, Hejinan, Dickinson, maybe Plath, Carson, Duffy— Sappho? If possible, interested readers should sign up ahead of time by e-mailing Efroymson admin Chris Speckman.
Alabama-based author Michael Martone will return to his Hoosier roots, stopping by on October 3 as part of his Fourth Double-Wide World Tour of Indiana. He’ll be giving readings and making visits at IU-East on Monday the 30, Earlam on the 1st, Purdue on the 2nd. He’ll talk about Indiana geography and how our humble plains can be inspiring.
October 29 is our first annual Writer’s Harvest, which will take place at the Reilly Room in Atherton Union and not the ECCW to accommodate the anticipated audience. Part charity, part reading, you share dry goods and canned food for us to donate to non-profit community kitchen Second Helpings, and local fiction powerhouses John Green, Susan Neville and Ben Winters will share some stories. Win-win. “It’s something we’ve wanted to do for a long time,” says Flanzbaum.
Closing the series on November 14, we’ll be hosting the reading portion of our Good Works Creative Writing Contest. Open to grads and undergrads, the contest will welcome prose and poetry that reinforces the importance of giving back. Submission and prize details will be forthcoming here and on the MFA Program’s website.