UW-Eau Claire will host the sixth annual Frederick and Joan Christopherson Schmidt Robert Frost Celebration of American Poetry at 4 p.m. Monday, April 29, in the Lantern space on the third floor of Centennial Hall on the university's lower campus.
Several poems by Frost will be among those featured during the event; a reception will follow.
The poetry event, which is free and open to the public, celebrates National Poetry Month along with the university's Frederick G. and Joan Christopherson Schmidt Robert Frost Collection, which was acquired in 2013 by the UW-Eau Claire Foundation. The collection contains more than 40 books authored by Frost, including several that have been signed and inscribed by the poet, dozens of books about Frost, and manuscript materials containing hand-written poetry, Christmas cards and pamphlets.
The theme of "Poetry and Nature" was selected for this year's celebration. Following are this year's poetry readers:
- James Schmidt, chancellor, UW-Eau Claire.
- Max Garland, professor emeritus, English, UW-Eau Claire; former Wisconsin poet laureate.
- Joan Christopherson Schmidt, donor, Frederick G. and Joan Christopherson Schmidt Robert Frost Collection.
- Lauren Becker, environmental geography major and on-campus student senator, UW-Eau Claire.
- Dang Yang, director, Office of Multicultural Affairs, UW-Eau Claire.
- Lopamudra Basu, professor, English and philosophy department, UW-Stout.
- Jerome Poling, assistant director, University Communications, UW-Stout.
- Ashly Curtis, English alum, UW-Eau Claire, and Barnes & Noble Bookstore.
- Paul Kaldjian, professor and chair, department of geography and anthropology, UW-Eau Claire.
- Yvette Flaten, Eau Claire area freelance writer and poet.
- Kate Hinnant, associate professor and head of instruction and communication, McIntyre Library, UW-Eau Claire.
The Frederick and Joan Christopherson Schmidt Robert Frost Celebration of American Poetry is sponsored by the UW-Eau Claire English department, UW-Eau Claire Foundation, Barstow & Grand, and McIntyre Library.
For more information or to view the Frost collection, contact Greg Kocken in McIntyre Library's special collections and archives area at kockeng@uwec.edu or 715-836-3873.
