During the spring and fall semesters, the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts and Humanities hosts the Third Thursday Poetry Series event at Pebble Hill on the third Thursday of every month.
Third Thursday Poetry Series kicked off 2022 with its first reading from Michael McFee this week at Pebble Hill.
Mcfee is a professor at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and an author of multiple poetry and essay collections. He read his earlier works as well as his most recent project "A Long Time to Be Gone" which will be published in Oct. 2022.
The event ended with a short Q&A and optional book signing.
Mcfee stated that he interlaced his upbringing and Southern Appalachian English within his poetry. He read poems titled, “Saltine” and “Rings of Fire,” the words were brought to life with laughter from those listening as the experiences he described were all too familiar.
He also described how he approached his poetry topics of the night; music, mountains and food.
“We [poets] pay attention to things we’ve noticed all our lives but never taken the time to think about…we get to work on our obsession in our poems.”
Mcfee mentioned how his poetry has evolved and developed over the years but remains familiar with his earliest work. Emphasizing one of the advantages of attending readings, which is listening to the writer’s original thoughts and backstory of the pieces you see in their collections.
This series is an opportunity to meet new authors and bring poetry to the community. The Third Thursday Poetry Series is attended by Auburn University professors, students, and community members. Often beginning with an open mic opportunity, the event serves as an interface for those who appreciates and enjoys poetry.
Rose McLarney, English professor at Auburn University, said the event tries to reach a diverse set of authors.
It is great to hear writers from different places as well as those more local, scheduling can be somewhat of a challenge because of availability but it is often a great way to promote any upcoming publications, according to McLarney.
Some of the readings are partnered with workshops, allowing those interested to work closely with the poets and encourage their own writing skills. More information is available on the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts & Humanities programs page of the Auburn University website.
The next reading for the Third Thursday Poetry Series will be with Jessica Jacobs on Feb. 17 at Pebble Hill. The event is free, and all are encouraged to come listen at 6:30 p.m.
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Grace Jones, graduate student in veterinary medicine, is a writer for the Auburn Plainsman
