Local History/Local Novelists 2013/14 Reading and Lecture Series

An evening inspired by the nineteenth century poet Emily Dickinson with Kevin Quashie, poet Charles Coe (picturedO and Emily Dickinson Museum Director Jane Wald.

Charles Coe is author of two books of poetry:  “All Sins Forgiven: Poems for my Parents” and “Picnic on the Moon,” both published by Leapfrog Press. He also writes feature articles, book and music reviews, and personal and humor essays. His poetry has appeared in a number of literary reviews and anthologies, including Poesis, The Mom Egg, Solstice Literary Review, and Urban Nature. He is the winner of a fellowship in poetry from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Charles’s poems have been set by a number of composers, including Beth Denisch, Julia Carey and Robert Moran. His prose has appeared in a wide variety of newspapers and magazines. In addition, Charles is co-chair of the Boston Chapter of the National Writers Union, a labor union for freelance writers. Charles has been selected by the Associates of the Boston Public Library as a “Boston Literary Light for 2014.”

Kevin Quashie teaches cultural studies and theory at Smith College. He is the author or editor of three books, most recently The Sovereignty of Quiet: Beyond Resistance in Black Culture.

Jane Wald, director, Emily Dickinson Museum  

The Connecticut River Valley is rich in both novelists and history.  Forbes Library is a place where novelists come to research and write alongside others interested in local history and literature. The Local History/Local Novelists series, now in its fourth year, invites the community to enjoy and join in the conversation between history and fiction that both engages and creates our changing cultures. Curated by  Forbes Writer in Residence Susan Stinson. Photo from the Amherst College Archives and Special Collections.