"Ekphrasis" Poetry Reading Next Thursday at MCAC

Next Thursday, February 23rd, at 7:30 pm, the McLean County Arts Center will host an event called "Ekphrasis, a Poetry Reading," with four area poets reading poems specifically created in response to artwork. The artwork they are responding to is described as "well known works from art history and contemporary photographs by Rhondal McKinney and Jin Lee and pastel drawings by John Cassidy, the current exhibits at the McLean County Arts Center."

Candace Armstrong, Jannett Highfill, Kathleen Kirk and Janice Witherspoon Neuleib are the four poets who will be reading their work at this "Ekphrasis" event.

Kirk teaches an Ekphrasis class at the McLean County Arts Center, and Armstrong and Neuleib are both participants in that class. They are scheduled to read new work on February 23rd.

Kathleen Kirk, editor of Escape Into Life, is also  the winner of the 2011 Ekphrasis Prize from Ekphrasis Journal. She will read a few poems from "Nocturnes" (seen here, with cover art by Nashay Jones), scheduled to be out this month from Hyacinth Girl Press.

Guest poet Jannett Highfill, who often incorporates art into her poetry, has a new book out from Finishing Line Press called "Light Blessings Drifting Together." (Book cover shown at right.) Highfill teaches economics at Bradley University and edits their Global Economy Journal.

EKPHRASIS, A POETRY READING
Thursday, February 23, 2012
McLean County Arts Center
601 N. East St., Bloomington, IL
309-829-0011.