Switch to the mobile version of this page.

The Gist

        
Tweet

Email

Print
Share

Thursday, February 6, 2014

The Gist

Poet Charles Simic gives reading and free master class tonight at Rollins

Posted By Jessica Bryce Young on Thu, Feb 6, 2014 at 11:20 AM

As the first event of this year's Winter With the Writers literary festival, poet Charles Simic appears tonight at Bush Auditorium on the campus of Rollins College. From 4-5:30pm, Simic conducts a master class, which is free and open to the public. At 7pm, he'll read, be interviewed onstage, and sign books for the audience. A don't-miss event for lovers of poetry! Simic was named our 15 poet laureate in 2007, and has published more than 20 volumes of poetry.

Learn more about Rollins' Winter With the Writers festival in my Feb. 5 arts feature, "Winter With the Writers showcases a lively mix." Carol Frost, the Rollins professor who oversees WWW each year, sees her brief in booking the festival season as “strik[ing] a balance between excitement and disquiet.” Which is actually a good description of Charles Simic's poetry. Frost says the Pulitzer Prize-winner has "uncanny insights into the human predicament."

Here's a powerful early poem of Simic's; go to the Poetry Foundation website to hear him read it. (Recommended—he has a very engaging voice.)

Fork

This strange thing must have crept

Right out of hell.

It resembles a bird’s foot

Worn around the cannibal’s neck.

As you hold it in your hand,

As you stab with it into a piece of meat,

It is possible to imagine the rest of the bird:

Its head which like your fist

Is large, bald, beakless, and blind.

Tags: jessica bryce young, rollins college, festival, poetry, literary, winter with the writers, Charles Simic, Carol Frost, Image

We welcome readers to submit letters regarding articles and content in Orlando Weekly. Letters should be a minimum of 150 words, refer to content that has appeared on Orlando Weekly, and must include the writer's full name, address, and phone number for verification purposes. No attachments will be considered. Writers of letters selected for publication will be notified via email. Letters may be edited and shortened for space.

Email us at feedback@orlandoweekly.com.

Orlando Weekly works for you, and your support is essential.

Our small but mighty local team works tirelessly to bring you high-quality, uncensored news and cultural coverage of Central Florida.

Unlike many newspapers, ours is free – and we'd like to keep it that way, because we believe, now more than ever, everyone deserves access to accurate, independent coverage of their community.

Whether it's a one-time acknowledgement of this article or an ongoing pledge, your support helps keep Orlando’s true free press free.