Southeast festival celebrates words
Wordsfair features Cape's local talent at public forum
Ben Marxer
Issue date: 4/30/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment
Since it's inception in 2002, Wordsfair has become a yearly springtime tradition, giving local writers, musicians, poets, essayists, artists, dramatists and all lovers of words a chance to showcase their skills in a public forum.
The event will feature performers from Southeast's student body, faculty,and the Cape Girardeau area, as well as a special keynote performance by poet Gabriel Gudding, a published writer and creative writing professor at the University of Illinois.
The festivities will take place on the Kent Library portico Saturday, May 2, from 12-5 p.m., and is free to the public.
The event is organized and funded by Journey, Southeast's student literary group, who sets up the Journey Student Reading Series throughout the school year, as well as publishing "Journey Magazine," Southeast's yearly literary journal. The event is also sponsored by the Southeast Missouri State University Press.
Caleb Tankersley, a student at Southeast and the organizer of the event, feels that Wordsfair gives students a unique opportunity. "Southeast has a lot of artistic events available; we have speakers who come in and visiting lecturers, but this is kind of unique in that it's an event all done by Southeast students and faculty," says Tankersley. "It's from us. It's that participation aspect that hopefully will draw someone in."
Dr. Susan Swartwout, a creative writing professor and the creator of Wordsfair, echoes the importance of the event for writing students.
"It's a great way to get students reading with faculty, as well as with the guest speaker, which is really important for them," says Dr. Swartwout. "It's good for students to get to interact with someone who is noted in the literary field and with a style different than they may have heard before. Students can hear them read, as well as read with them. It's a terrific learning experience."
The keynote speaker for this years show is Gabriel Gudding, a professor at the University of Illinois and a published writer specializing in experimental poetry. Gudding has two books published-a collection of poems titled "A Defense of Poetry" and "Rhode Island Notebook," a book-length travel log in the form of a single poem. Literary critics have described his work as "hilarious act of verbal striptease" ("Isthmus Books Quarterly"), "Whitman on nitrous" ("Hiram Poetry Review"), and "one humongous can of literary whoop-ass" ("Cold Mountain Review").
In addition to the keynote speaker, a variety of talented Southeast students and faculty will be involved in the day's activities as well.
Amongst the list of readers and performers, previously published "Journey Magazine" writers Karina Dewing and Joshua Smith will be presenting, along with English graduate students Marcia Herring and Jennifer Weiss. English Department faculty members Dr. Susan Swartwout and Dr. Karen Carcia are also featured performers.
Contributing to the musical elements of the show, local musician Chris Stephens will be bringing some unique style with his sitar skills, as well as Southeast professor and recorded folk singer Dr. Dale Haskell.
The event will feature performers from Southeast's student body, faculty,and the Cape Girardeau area, as well as a special keynote performance by poet Gabriel Gudding, a published writer and creative writing professor at the University of Illinois.
The festivities will take place on the Kent Library portico Saturday, May 2, from 12-5 p.m., and is free to the public.
The event is organized and funded by Journey, Southeast's student literary group, who sets up the Journey Student Reading Series throughout the school year, as well as publishing "Journey Magazine," Southeast's yearly literary journal. The event is also sponsored by the Southeast Missouri State University Press.
Caleb Tankersley, a student at Southeast and the organizer of the event, feels that Wordsfair gives students a unique opportunity. "Southeast has a lot of artistic events available; we have speakers who come in and visiting lecturers, but this is kind of unique in that it's an event all done by Southeast students and faculty," says Tankersley. "It's from us. It's that participation aspect that hopefully will draw someone in."
Dr. Susan Swartwout, a creative writing professor and the creator of Wordsfair, echoes the importance of the event for writing students.
"It's a great way to get students reading with faculty, as well as with the guest speaker, which is really important for them," says Dr. Swartwout. "It's good for students to get to interact with someone who is noted in the literary field and with a style different than they may have heard before. Students can hear them read, as well as read with them. It's a terrific learning experience."
The keynote speaker for this years show is Gabriel Gudding, a professor at the University of Illinois and a published writer specializing in experimental poetry. Gudding has two books published-a collection of poems titled "A Defense of Poetry" and "Rhode Island Notebook," a book-length travel log in the form of a single poem. Literary critics have described his work as "hilarious act of verbal striptease" ("Isthmus Books Quarterly"), "Whitman on nitrous" ("Hiram Poetry Review"), and "one humongous can of literary whoop-ass" ("Cold Mountain Review").
In addition to the keynote speaker, a variety of talented Southeast students and faculty will be involved in the day's activities as well.
Amongst the list of readers and performers, previously published "Journey Magazine" writers Karina Dewing and Joshua Smith will be presenting, along with English graduate students Marcia Herring and Jennifer Weiss. English Department faculty members Dr. Susan Swartwout and Dr. Karen Carcia are also featured performers.
Contributing to the musical elements of the show, local musician Chris Stephens will be bringing some unique style with his sitar skills, as well as Southeast professor and recorded folk singer Dr. Dale Haskell.
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