Eric McHenry, the Poet Laureate of Kansas. Will be visiting Hays on April 8th at the Hays Public Library to present and talk about exploring the humanities through poetry during his 12 Kansas communities tour. The tour begins in Leavenworth on September 19th. McHenry will lead presentations and discussions exploring the humanities through poetry in 12 Kansas communities in 2015 and 2016.
McHenry will present “A Momentary Stay Against Confusion” in each community. Drawing inspiration from a Robert Frost essay for the title, McHenry’s presentation showcases poetry in a new light. “There’s a popular perception that contemporary poetry is obscure and hard to understand,” said McHenry. “I’d like to share some poems that defy that stereotype, and to talk about how poetry can achieve a special kind of clarity not found in any other kind of writing.”
Eric McHenry is a fifth-generation Kansan. Studying at Beloit College, and then moving on to graduate work at Boston University where he earned his MA in creative writing. McHenry’s poems have been featured in many publications, including, The Harvard Review, Slate, and Poetry Northwest, whose editors named McHenry winner of the Theodore Roethke Prize for best poems published in the magazine in 2010. His criticism has appeared in The New York Times Book Review and Salon. He is a winner of the Academy of American Poets Prize, and Potscrubber Lullabies won the Kate Tufts Discovery Award. He currently lives in Lawrence and teaches creative writing at Washburn University. In April 2015 he was announced as the 2015-2017 Poet Laureate of Kansas.
For times, locations, and additional details, click here – Kansas Humanites Council Calendar of Events