Universal Penman NEWSLETTER OF THE PROVIDENCE ATHENÆUM FOSTERING CREATIVITY AND ENGAGEMENT THROUGH POETRY & PROSE This year’s Poetry and Prose Project, created with Not About the Buildings, Writers in the Schools, and other community collaborators, encompassed three participatory activities – the Philbrick Poetry Project, Micro-Memoir!, and the Read Aloud - designed to foster poetry and prose as living, accessible art forms. Each activity brought together people of diverse ages to write, read, and be read to. In February we met for the first of our Micro-Memoir! events, which was open to all ages; in March we hosted a marathon reading of William Maxwell’s classic novel, So Long, See You Tomorrow; in April the Philbrick Poetry Project Reading, including a workshop for School One high school students, took place (see below); and in May we hosted our second Micro-Memoir! event, with Tina Cane, founder of Writers in the Schools, bringing a group of her Central Falls High School students to the Athenaeum to work on memoirs with micro- fiction pioneer and poet Karen Donovan. All the activities were supported in part by a grant from the RI State Micro-Memoirists from Central Falls High School with Tina Kane and Karen Donovan Council on the Arts, through an appropriation by the RI General Assembly and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. The Philbrick Poetry Project is also supported in part by the Philbrick family and donations to the Philbrick Poetry Project Fund. Lunch for the students of Central Falls High School was graciously donated by Maria Meza and her son Joaquin Meza, Jr., owners of El Rancho Grande Restaurant. Thanks also to Mike Ritz and Leadership RI for their assistance. FOURTEENTH ANNUAL PHILBRICK POETRY PROJECT READING Guest poet judge Lisa Starr selected Lucile Burt’s manuscript Neither Created Nor Destroyed as the honoree of the 2012 Philbrick Poetry Project. On April 27 both poets gave spirited readings at the Athenaeum to a record crowd of poetry lovers, who also got the first look at Ms. Burt’s new chapbook, published as part of the Project. Earlier in the day, also as part of the Project, Ms. Starr gave a poetry workshop to high school students from School One. Of Ms. Burt’s work, Ms. Starr wrote: “The reader should prepare for a bit of a journey led by a poet comfortable in many realms: the natural world, family, education, and work appear and reappear in this collection, and through the poet’s unique blend of sensitivity and language, these seemingly familiar themes become transformed. These are textured poems, some as ruddy as the old farmer who peoples one of them, and others as comforting as ‘waves’ that ‘break like heartbeats.’” Lucile Burt is a retired high school English and creative writing teacher, currently living in Wellfleet. Her poems have been published in Red Rock Review, Tendril, and the anthology Teaching with Fire. Inspiration for her poetry comes from memory and observation. The rural landscape of her childhood in upstate New York serves as a backdrop for some poems, while outer Cape Cod, that narrow land surrounded by water, has inspired more recent work. Poets Lisa Starr (L) and Lucile Burt (R) Lisa Starr is the RI Poet Laureate and author of three books of poetry: Mad With Yellow, This Place Here, and Days of Dogs and Driftwood. A two- time recipient of the RISCA Fellowship for Poetry, she is the founder and director of the Block Island Poetry Project, the nationally acclaimed celebration of the arts and humanity. With the help of her family, Starr operates the Hygeia House, an inn on Block Island. The Philbrick Poetry Project was established to honor the memory of Charles and Deborah Philbrick by promoting the art of poetry in New England. Charles Philbrick taught at Brown University and published several books, including New England Suite and Nobody Laughs, Nobody Cries. Deborah Philbrick acted as a mentor for many Celebrants at the Annual Philbrick Poetry Project Reading aspiring poets during her lifetime. JUNE 2012 MESSAGE FROM DEMING SHERMAN, SERENADING OUR SPONSORS AND BOARD PRESIDENT SUPPORTERS! We are moved to song when we think of the sponsors and friends who made our programs possible this year! To Our Members: Please join in the chorus by supporting these generous businesses It is instructive to remind ourselves occasionally of the mission and organizations in return, and be sure to tell them how much of the Athenaeum. Yes, we are a library that serves our members you appreciate their Athenaeum sponsorship! Campus Fine Wines; well. But we are more, as our Mission Statement recites, in part: Dr. Joseph A. Chazan; Elad, Inc.; Fontaine, DeCarvalho & Bell, The Providence Athenaeum, a unique library and cultural center, LLP - Attorney Kas DeCarvalho; the Gertrude N. Goldowsky and welcomes and enriches the educational and cultural pursuits of its Seebert J. Goldowsky Foundation; Drs. Ethan H. Kisch and Helene members and the community and encourages a diverse public to engage Kisch Pniewski; KITE Architects; Allen Kurzweil and Françoise in spirited conversation. Dussart; Maria and Joaquin Meza and El Rancho Grande Restaurant; M&S Rare Books; The Peck Building, LLC; RI Council for the In carrying out this public mission, the Athenaeum has presented Humanities; risdworks; RI State Council on the Arts; Roslyn Sinclair; some 40 Salons and programs during the past year and has Jillian Siqueland of Residential Properties; Michael, Anne, and opened its doors to the public for all of these events. The terrific Amelia Spalter; Sally Strachan; Studio Hop; The Susan Jaffe Tane attendance by an enthusiastic audience each week has confirmed Foundation; Variable Data Printing; vintagepens.com; and Yankee our place as a dynamic cultural force in Providence, a role cited Travel. Thanks also to our presenting partners: Celebrate Providence frequently in Jacki Lyden’s piece for NPR that aired earlier in the 375 Years; Community MusicWorks; Frequency Providence; the spring. Many of these wide-ranging events have been presented John Russell Bartlett Society; Not About the Buildings; Providence in collaboration with important cultural organizations such as Preservation Society; RI ACLU; RI Center for the Book; RI Public RI Public Radio, AS220, the Providence Preservation Society, the Radio; Roger Williams National Memorial; and Writers in the RISD Museum, the Providence Singers, Southside Community Schools. Thanks as well to our tireless Program Support Committee Land Trust, Everett, and the RI Council for the Humanities. As a volunteers: Alayne Barnicoat, Ron Bartolini, David Berman, Peggy result of the new audiences we have attracted, we have gained Edwards, Carl Farmer, Grace Farmer (Chair), Ellen Goodlin, Don new members and new donors. We will continue to honor this Harper, Lucia Huntley, Lucy Ann Lepreau, Anna Links, Elsie Morse, important public mission, which strengthens the Athenaeum as it Sophie Philbrick, Lisa Popitz, Merleann Poulton, Peter Sentkowski, strengthens the larger community. Cynthia Shattuck, Regina White, and Emese Wood. As we close in on the end of our fiscal year, I urge our all members AS220 UPDATE! Have you taken advantage of your reciprocal to support the Athenaeum financially to the extent that you are membership to AS220, now a benefit of Athenaeum membership? able. We rely on memberships and donations for over a third Everyone who joins the Athenaeum at the Individual and House- of our operating revenues, and our ability to provide services hold member levels also receives a one-time, one-year membership depends on meeting our fundraising goals. To those who have to AS220, a multi-faceted community arts organization in down- donated, a hearty thank you! To those who have not yet made a town Providence. And everyone who joins AS220 at the SuperMem- contribution, here is the opportunity to step up and help maintain bership level receives a six-month Introductory membership to the this irreplaceable cultural institution. Thanks! Athenaeum. If you are already an Athenaeum member, contact Danielle Kemsley, Director of Member Services and Development at 421-6970, x15 or [email protected] to activate your AS220 membership benefits today. FALL BOOK GROUPS! Both AS220 and the Athenaeum have created spaces where people The Athenaeum Book Discussion Group will begin its 29th con- can pursue creative interests, educate themselves, meet new people, secutive year of monthly Friday morning book discussions in and become engaged in the community around them. The reciprocal September. The books are chosen by group consensus and the membership gives supporters of both organizations access to new eclectic list of titles reflects the wide range of reading interests of benefits and an invitation to explore new possibilities. In this spirit, the members. New participants are always welcome! Call Susan AS220 offers a special 15% discount just for Athenaeum members on Cohen at 521-0607 for dates, times, and further information. all class, lab, and studio fees, including those for the newly expanded AS220Printshop, plus photography classes and labs. The discount Books for 2012-13 are: The Iliad – Homer; Old Filth – Jane Gardam; is also good for all online purchases of art and merchandise. Visit Caleb’s Crossing – Geraldine Brooks; Love Medicine – Louise Erdrich; as220.org to explore their schedule of classes and upcoming events, Someone Knows My Name – Lawrence Hill; On Tangled Paths – Theodor and then head to a concert, an opening, a reading, a class, a meal Fontane; Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad; A Death in the Family – – there is something at AS220 for everyone. For more information James Agee; The Wandering Falcon – Jamil Ahmad; What Maisie Knew about AS220 offerings, including how to get your discount and how – Henry James; Sentimental Education – Gustave Flaubert. to sign up for classes, contact Cheryl Kaminsky at [email protected] Other monthly book groups for fall are: or 401-831-9327 x116.