The Wick Poetry Center’s 40th anniversary, held Sept. 19-21, invited people to celebrate four decades of sharing poetry to the community through various writing workshops, readings, panels and tours in the Kent State community. Famous poets such as Pádraig Ó Tuama, Adrian Matejka, Naomi Shihab Nye and Jane Hirshfield stayed in Kent over the weekend to support the 40th anniversary.
On Thursday, the event had opening remarks from David Hassler, the Wick Poetry Center’s executive director and Todd Diacon, Kent State’s president.
“Poetry makes us human, poetry makes us better and Wick Poetry makes poetry accessible,” Diacon said. “The Wick Poetry Center is poetry at Kent State.”
There was also a reading from Maggie Anderson, Wick’s founder.
“I believe the world will be a better place for the three days of poets reading around the clock here [at Kent],” Anderson says, “We are making art in this world that does not particularly value art.”
Afterward, readings of published poets through the Stan and Tom Wick Poetry Prize began.
On Friday, attendees were invited to explore the campus and downtown. In the afternoon, there was another reading of Wick published poets followed with a creative workshop led by Charlie Malone, Wick’s director of outreach.
Then, guests came together to watch an interview between Ó Tuama and Matejka, where they talked about their everyday experiences with poetry including some poems they wrote. The interview was recorded in conjunction with “Poetry Unbound”, a podcast Ó Tuama hosts.
Following this, Matejka and Ó Tuama read some of their works alongside poets Shihab Nye and Hirshfield.
“I could not be more grateful to every person who has become a foundation stone for something which is not a house, or a building — though it has a spectacular house, bus, garden and building,” Hirshfield says. “Above all, the Wick Poetry Center is a verb. It is a set of actions and engagements. I feel so very lucky to have become, in a way, a part of the team … Wick has been doing something together with all of us for 40 years.”
After this, attendees could go to the Venice Cafe, where there was an open mic poetry reading.
On Saturday, guests could attend another Wick author reading and a Malone-led poetry workshop. Finally, the week ended by coming together at a Gala Dinner with closing remarks from Kent State’s Provost Melody Tankersley.
“I can attest firsthand to the impact that the Wick Poetry Center has had in the life of students, faculty and staff of Kent State, as well as … all of the communities that it touches,” Tankersley said. “Wick Poetry Center touches so many lives directly and indirectly, a complete and never-ending circle of their brilliance.”
Lindsay Collier is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected]
