Poetry on the Porch | ESU Bulletin

Written by Bulletin Staff
Thursday, 06 October 2011 12:27
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Eric McHenry, English professor at Washburn, reads from his first published book of poetry, “The Potscrubber Lullabies,” which won the Kate Tufts Discovery Award, Sunday afternoon on the porch of the William Allen White state historic house. Student, faculty and community members also read at Poetry on the Porch. John Henningsen/The Bulletin

Poetry is a universal art form that helps people from all walks of life relate.

About 30 people from around the community came together last Sunday on the porch of the William Allen White state historic house for the fifth annual Poetry on the Porch reading.

“(We) set up these readings so we can recreate the spirit of the William Allen White porch,” said English professor Kevin Rabas, co-director of the creative writing program. “This was once a safe haven for artists to hang out (at) but also to further their art.”

Eric McHenry, an English professor at Washburn University, read from his latest book of poetry, “Mommy Daddy Even and Sage,” which was inspired by his own children, as well as his first book “The Potscrubber Lullabies,” which won the Kate Tufts Discovery Award.

“It might work with a panther,’ Even said, ‘but if you see a vulture. Don’t play dead,” McHenry read from his latest book. Many of McHenry’s poems had the crowd laughing.

McHenry’s poetry has appeared in The New Republic, Harvard Review, Northwest Review, Orion and Agni. He also reviews poetry for The New York Times.

“I liked him,” said Ashely Feist, sophomore music major. “I liked that he talked about his kids all the time.”

After McHenry’s reading, Rabas began an open mic session by reading one of his own poems, followed by a several poets from the community, including McHenry’s father, who read an award-winning poem from “The Potscrubber Lullabies.” The readings ended with Feist and Kari Bowles, a graduate student in English.

“I came by choice,” Feist said, “but I heard about it in class.”

Feist read a poem that she said had begun as a class assignment.

Rabas said that the WAW porch readings are beneficial to the community because poetry is a way to tell stories to an audience and create a unique energy.

“This gives students and community members a chance to read their poetry and hear other people’s poetry and share in a community of the word,” Rabas said. “This is one of the oldest ways of telling stories and we get to connect to that lineage of communication through poetry.”

The event concluded with a group poetic project written by everyone in attendance. Rabas called it the “consequences game,” which consisted of passing around a sheet of paper where everyone wrote one to two lines from looking at just the line before, without being able to see the entire poem.

Khaili Scarbrough

Briefs

Written by Bulletin Staff
Thursday, 29 September 2011 17:34
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Poetry on the Porch to feature Washburn poet

An open microphone reading by Emporia State students, faculty and the Emporia community will take place at 2 p.m. this Sunday at the William Allen White House, 927 Exhange St.

Eric MeHenry, a professor at Washburn, will read some of his work at the event. His first book of poems, “Potscrubber Lullabies,” won the Kate Tufts Discovery Award.

Blood drive to start next week

Beginning today, students can sign up to donate blood on the Memorial Union Main Street.

The Xi Phi blood drive will begin next Wednesday. Tables will be set up from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Thursday in Webb Lecture Hall in the Memorial Union.

According to the American Red Cross, only three out of every 100 Americans donate blood. To find out if you are eligible, go to Redcrossblood.org.

ASA’s annual chili feed will feature new to-go line

Alpha Sigma Alpha will host their annual Chili Feed from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Oct. 16 at the sorority house, 226 West 12th Ave.

Tickets are $5 for all you can eat chili, drinks and desert. Kids 12 and under eat for $3. Contact any ASA member to reserve a spot, or stop by ASA’s booth in the Memorial Union.

Starting this year, ASA will have a to-go line. They will also have Scentsy, Avon, At Home America and Thirty One Bags products available.

Poetry on the Porch: A celebration of William Allen White’s legacy

Written by Bulletin Staff
Thursday, 07 October 2010 15:02
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Stephanie Russel, senior graphic design and art major, recites poetry during Poetry on the Porch Sunday morning at the William Allen White House. Ashley Wells/ The Bulletin

As part of the fall series showing William Allen White’s work by the Marketing Promotion Community of William Allen White Partnership, the fourth annual “Poetry on the Porch” was held Sunday at William Allen White House. About 30 students, faculty of Emporia State and community members attended.

“Mr. White would sit out on the porch and hang out with his friends and famous people and they had good times getting together like this, so we’re following that tradition,” said Kevin Rabas, associate professor of English and co-director of the creative writing program.

However, “Poetry on the Porch” is not only for putting the name of William Allen White to the public and keeping people in thinking, but also helps more people who attend to learn more about William Allen White.

Roger Heineken, a past board member of community partnership, and also serves at the Marketing Promotion Community and continues helping out with this program to inform people about aspects of White’s life.

“Mr. White wrote published books and many kinds of literature, fiction, non-fiction, political biographies on presidents, but in fact his first published piece of work is poetry,” Heineken said. “So in this case, people may not think he is a poet but a newspaper editor.”

William Allen White’s very first published work was a poetry book “Rhymes by Two Friends,” which was published in 1893 with co-writer Albert Bigelow Paine.

Rabas has volunteered to help the Marketing Promotion Community of William Allen White Partnership since it started, and is in charge of the poetry creation of the event.

“Every time we read one or two poems of his to show folks that there is a local poet and writer whose legacy continues here and we are able to live as part of that and live in his world,” Rabas said.

Also, this year Eric McHenry, who is the lead poet and faculty of Washburn University in Topeka, was invited to read poetry at the event. McHenry is the author of a book of poems, “Potscrubber Lullabies,” which won the Kate Tufts Discovery Award.

The poetry reading was opened with information about political poetry and tied to “Oh, Governor Henry Allen,” which was written when White went to jail for protesting. After McHenry’s reading, three ESU students read at the open mic.

Han Yan, English graduate student and Bulletin staff writer, read a poem of Chinese poet Haizi, in her native Chinese and translations in English. Steph Russell read poems of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda.

Natalia Barr, sophomore English major, read her own creation titled “Marchland,” which was about the seasonal window seen from her grandparents’ house.

“I really enjoy the event and it is a really great time and good opportunities to meet authors of Kansas natives who has work published,” Barr said. “I didn’t know he (William Allen White) is a poet before I came to this event.”

According to Rabas, it is a chance for folks in the region and community to share their own poetry and hear some other poets.

“It is a great unity and community building project for people and poets interested in poetry,” Rabas said.

Lauren Lau

WAW house offers final ‘Poetry on the Porch’ for 2009

Written by Shawna Berry
Thursday, 08 October 2009 16:06
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Sunday afternoon at the Red Rock home of William Allen White, John Brownlee shares poetry at the Poetry. Poetry on the Porch was part of the Sunday on the Porch series provided by the William Allen White Society. Jennifer Baldwin/The Bulletin.

On Sunday, Poetry on the Porch had its final run for the year on the porch of William Allen White’s house, located at 10^th and Exchange streets.

“The William Allen White house was opened in May 2005, and Poetry on the Porch got started that same fall,” said Roger Heinken, member of the William Allen White Community Partnership Program. “I had asked Kevin Rabas to announce the event to his classes and to encourage his students to attend.”

The event began with Kevin Rabas, associate professor of creative writing, playing a cajón drum from South America.

“I use the cajón drum because it has a nice sound and it helps to set the mood for the poetry,” Rabas said.

Shortly after this musical introduction, Heineken gave an opening speech before turning the stage over to Rabas again to begin the readings.

“This is the third year we have done Poetry on the Porch, and approximately the 29th program that has been hosted here on the porch,” Heineken said.

Rabas read a few poems and then opened the floor for student and community members to have the opportunity to read their poems or works they found inspiring.

Though it was cold, Heineken thought there was a large crowd in attendance.

“I always count the attendees at every event we host, and today we saw about 24,” Heineken said. “We count every person who participates in some way, even if they are only here to take photographs.”

Cheryl Unruh, Emporia resident, Kelli Kuhlman and John Brownlee were among those who read poetry at the event. Stephanie Russell, a student poet published in this year’s edition of Quivira, read a poem of hers titled “The Way.”

Rabas also sent around a small notepad for a writing game called “Consequences,” sometimes better known as “Exquisite Corpse.” As the notepad was passed around, each person wrote a line or two without looking at the line before. Once everyone had a chance to write a little on the paper, it was read aloud so that everyone could hear the end result.

Sunday’s “Consequences” read like this:

Alone, on a withered bough / a crow perches / long after dark / in silence and stillness / the symphony of autumn / leaves bursts forward / with a cymbal splash / and fall a silent crush / with only a crow / to witness its passing / and the world goes to sleep / from me not a peep / dreaming of autumn colors / red, yellow, brown, / and a few green stragglers / the crisp smell overwhelming, / crunching leaves / a dog barking, a / train whistle screaming, / I must be home again.

Venice Russell, Emporia resident, was also in attendance on Sunday.

“This is my first time coming to this event,” he said. “I mainly have become interested in poetry because I enjoyed my sister-in-law’s knack for poetry, and my daughter’s, too.”

Rabas and Heineken both commented on the increase in the crowd size since the last Poetry on the Porch event.

“At the Poetry on the Porch event this summer, we counted about 37 in attendance.” Heineken said.

Rabas said he was also excited about the number of attendees.

“A few years ago, there were only about half as many people coming to this event as there are now,” Rabas said. “Enthusiasm for poetry has been building.”

Sunday afternoon was the last Poetry on the Porch event for the year, but both Heineken, Rabas and Venice Russell anticipate the future afternoons for poetry.

“I will definitely come again next year,” Russell said.