A University of Alabama creative writing professor has invited poets Maureen Thorson, Anne Boyer and Shanna Compton to read selections of their work at Green Bar on Tuesday.
Daniela Olszewska facilitated the event, which is part of a tour for Bloof Books, an independent poetry press started in 2007.
“I am a huge fan of Bloof Books,” Olszewska said. “When I heard that some of their poets were touring the Southeast, I begged Shanna Compton, their editor-in-chief, to make a stop in Tuscaloosa.”
Among the poets are Anne Boyer, assistant professor of the liberal arts at the Kansas City Art Institute and author of the forthcoming novel “JOAN”; Maureen Thorson, a publisher and book designer as well as author of the new book “Applies to Oranges”; and Shanna Compton, author of books like “Down Spooky” and “For Girls & Others.”
“Anne and I have new books forthcoming from Bloof Books, and Maureen has a new book out from Ugly Duckling Presse,” Compton said. “So we decided to travel together to celebrate the books and share our new work with audiences outside our own home cities.”
Each poet has also published numerous other works and will be reading excerpts from them on their tour. The authors will have various books and chapbooks available for sale and signing. In addition, audience members may also have a chance to speak with them.
“I don’t think there is a formal Q&A time,” Compton said. “But we would be very happy to talk to students before or after the reading. We’ll be hanging out a while.”
Olszewska, who will be emceeing that night, has high hopes for the event.
“I hope that this event will afford students an opportunity to hear poetry that might be flying under their English Lit. textbooks’ radars,” Olszewska said. “Each of these poets has a very distinct voice that I think will translate well from page to stage. These poets engage political and social topics with humor, charm and compelling imagery.”
Students who are 18 and older, as well as anyone else in the community who would like to attend, will get the chance to judge for themselves when the event takes place at Green Bar at 7 p.m. on Nov. 8.
