Poetry, like music, is meant to be heard. The cadence of the spoken words has the ability to quiet the mind, illuminating a depth of feeling for the attuned listener.
At 4:00pm on September 23rd, area residents will get to experience the transcending powers of two of the country’s formidable poets – Kazim Ali and Brett Ralph – during a public reading of their work in room 303 of the Morgan University Center. A book signing will follow.
Ali is the author of two books of poetry, “The Far Mosque” and “The Fortieth Day.” He was the winner of the Alice James Books’ New England/New York Award, and his poetry has been featured in national journals such as Best American Poetry 2007, American Poetry Review, Boston Review and Barrow Street.
Ralph, a Kentucky native, has traveled extensively and taught at an eclectic mix of institutions, such as the University of Massachusetts, the Central Institute of Buddhist Studies in the Himalayas of Northern India and Hopkinsville (KY) Community College. His work has appeared in publications such as Conduit, Willow Springs and The American Poetry Review. His poems have been anthologized in “The McSweeny’s Book of Poets Picking Poets” and “The Stiffest of the Corpse: Exquisite Corpse Reader.”
His first book of poetry, “Black Sabbatical” was published last year by Sarabande Books.
