Prose and Poetry
Prose and poetry hold a profound significance for the Center for the Arts (CFA), serving as vital conduits for storytelling, self-expression, and cultural exchange. Both prose and poetry offer avenues for reflection, connection, and exploration, enhancing CFA’s mission to ignite passion for the arts and cultivate a more vibrant and inclusive cultural landscape.
Poetry
“Tell all the truth but tell it slant – (1263)”
By Emily Dickinson
Tell all the truth but tell it slant —
Success in Circuit lies
Too bright for our infirm Delight
The Truth's superb surprise
As Lightning to the Children eased
With explanation kind
The Truth must dazzle gradually
Or every man be blind —
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Check out our monthly poetry submissions from local schools in the Artist Alive Blog's poetry section, displayed to the left.
Prose
Through literary events, such as readings and workshops, the CFA cultivates a space where words come alive, inspiring dialogue, empathy, and understanding among diverse audiences. By embracing the written word in all its forms, CFA not only celebrates the richness of literary traditions but also fosters creativity and critical thinking, nurturing a community where ideas flourish and voices are heard.
Joseph and Jesse Bruchac - August 2021
The Literary Art Guild of CFA, along with the Newbury Library and Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum, sponsored a virtual evening entitled: "REMEMBERING THE DAWN: A bilingual program of traditional Abenaki songs and stories by father and son culture bearers Joseph and Jesse Bruchac."
For over forty years Joseph Bruchac has been creating literature and music that reflect his indigenous heritage and traditions, as a proud Nulhegan Abenaki citizen and respected elder among his people. He is the author of more than 120 books for children and adults. His best-selling Keepers of the Earth: Native American Stories and Environmental Activities for Children series, with its remarkable integration of science and folklore, continue to receive critical acclaim and to be used in classrooms throughout the country.
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His son, Jesse, follows in his steps as a traditional storyteller, musician, and Abenaki language instructor. He works as co-director of their family-run education center Ndakinna, where he teaches Native American life ways, martial arts, and the Abenaki language. Jesse has written and published several bilingual books and recordings in Abenaki. He has lectured at Yale, Harvard, Dartmouth, Princeton, and is currently co-teaching (alongside Conor McDonough Quinn) a Wabanaki Language course at the University of Southern Maine. Jesse has also acted as consultant, translator, composer, and language coach for programs on AMC, National Geographic, and PBS.
Photo Credit - Eric Jenks
Carol Dana - June 2021
The Literary Art Guild of CFA along with the Newbury Library and the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum sponsored "Life and Times of a Penobscot Poetess" which was a virtual evening with Carol Dana, a Penobscot Language Keeper. Carol has devoted years to Penobscot language revitalization, working on the Penobscot dictionary project during the 1980s, and teaching Penobscot at the Indian Island School during the 1990s. She is the author of two books of poetry, When No One Is Looking and Return to Spirit and Other Musings, both published by Bowman Books.
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Read about Carol Dana and the Penobscot Language in the New Yorker >
Joy Harjo, US Poet Laureate - May 2021
The New Hampshire Humanities Council presented a virtual evening with U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo
In 2019, Joy Harjo was appointed the 23rd United States Poet Laureate and is the first Native American to hold the position. Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Harjo is an internationally renowned award-winning poet, writer, performer, and saxophone player of the Mvskoke/Creek Nation.
More about Joy Harjo
Hear Joy Harjo talk about her appointment as U.S. Poet Laureate in this short video from the Library of Congress.
Readings From Snapshots in Time - 2021
Join us for readings from Snapshots in Time as some of the poets from Visual Verse III share their work at the Warner Town Hall. Come and see the pictures of Warner, Andover, and Sutton that inspired the poems.
If you have any questions, contact Lynn Clark at the Warner Historical Society:​
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Phone: 603-456-2437.
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Email: info@warnerhistorical.org
Please note: Masks will be required.
Visual Verse
The Center for the Arts has been proud to partner in the creation of the Visual Verse series. A collaboration of imagery and verse collide to weave elements of our community into a beautiful collection. Find out more by clicking here.
