Poetry and paintings

By Zach White

Thursday, November 12, 2009

The exhibits of the Spencer Museum of Art will set the scene for a reading of three of the University’s preeminent poets this afternoon.

The reading will feature the works of three English professors: William J. Harris, Kenneth Irby and Joseph Harrington.

The same three professors held a poetry reading at the museum two years ago, which drew about 40 people, nearly filling the court.

“We had a great time a couple of years ago,” Harris said. “A lot of people came out. Now a couple of years have passed and we all have written new things.”

Each of the poets has produced new work since the past reading.

‘NEWWORKS' POETRY READING

Who: English Professors William J. Harris, Kenneth Irby and Joseph Harrington

When: Today, 4:30 p.m.

Where: Spencer Museum of Art, central court

Harris is working on a pocket-sized booklet, called a chapbook, which will be published in Italy. The chapbook, which is in both English and Italian, is part of a series meant to introduce Italian audiences to American poetry. Harris said he would focus on poems produced during his year-long sabbatical in Brooklyn this afternoon.

Irby is currently compiling his collected works, which he has written over the past 40 years. Irby said he plans on reading some older works from his collection this afternoon.

Harrington has continued to work on a collection about his mother’s life, which details her battle with cancer in the mid-1970s.

During the last reading, Joseph Harrington read with an accompanying PowerPoint slideshow, presenting pieces about mother’s life in a multimedia format.

“I thought ‘I will be reading in an art museum, I should include some kind of visual element,’” Harrington said.

This time, Harrington will again use PowerPoint to accompany his presentation. He plans to focus on a piece about his mother’s battle against cancer, which occurred during the Watergate hearings. The poem highlights the turmoil happening in both the country and his family at that time.

photo

Photo by Chance Dibben

English professors Kenneth Irby, Joespeh Harrington, and William J. Harris will read new works this afternoon at the Spencer Art Museum. The group held a similar reading two years ago.

According to Bill Woodard, Public Information Officer for the museum, these and other readings are a part of the museum’s effort to be more than just a gallery, but also a performance space.

“We welcome a wide variety of art forms into the museum,” Woodard said. “Poetry readings are something that is right in that wheelhouse.”

Though reluctant to say that their work is similar, all three poets agreed that they come from the “New American” tradition. This style, born after World War II, is characterized by an informal style, and is less focused on the strict structural rules of other forms.

Robert Knapp, 2009 graduate, said he was excited for the reading. Knapp said that during his time in the English department, he found each of the three writers very influential.

“The faculty at KU rarely perform their own work, so it’s a treat,” Knapp said.

Knapp attended the reading two years ago and said it was “fantastic.” He said he was excited to see what the poets had been doing since then. He further said that he thought anyone with an interest in writing should be excited about the reading, too.

The event will being at 4:30 p.m. in the central court of the museum.

— Edited by Brenna M. T. Daldorph

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