It is my pleasure to introduce our judge for Springtime 2012 IBPC, the sharp, smart, and remarkable
Shara McCallum, director of the
Stadler Center for Poetry at Bucknell University, where she also teaches creative writing and literature. We have poet Laurie Byro to thank for making the connection and arrangements for her to judge and become an important part of us. As you'll find in the links below, and I was tempted to start with the videos, Shara received the 2011 National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship for Poetry, and has also been awarded the Tennessee Individual Artist Grant in Literature, a Barbara Deming Memorial Fund grant, and the 1998 Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize. Originally from Jamaica, she sees herself "as a Caribbean writer. Also a Jamaican writer, an American writer, an African American writer, a West Indian writer, a woman writer." And as I write, she is already reading our poems for the April contest. (Thank you, Shara!) Now we can read hers! Links below.
Poetry CollectionsThis Strange LandSong of ThievesThe Water Between UsInterviewsHere Comes Everybody: Shara McCallumSmartishPace: An Interview with Shara McCallumPoemsPoetry Foundation: The Art RoomNational Endowment for the Arts: Writers' Corner: At the Hanover MuseumWasabiNet: Dear HistoryThe Antioch Review: Facing Itars poetica: For Rachel, Just before SpeechBucknell University: A Grammar for WarVoices: History is a RoomCollege Park: Jamaica, October 18, 1972The Caribbean Review of Books: ManchineelGeoffrey Philp, author of Who's Your Daddy?: Miss Sally on PoliticsThe Murder Mile: An OfferingJuniata College: Penelope (pdf)Rachel writes: The Perfect HeartCollege Park: SeedUsed Bookstore Poetry: Six Ways of Envisioning Losstheblackbottom: What I’m telling you [excerpt]College Park: Yu no send. Me no come.AudioWPSU (Penn State): This Strange Land by Shara McCallumMaine Humanities Council: Shara McCallumVideoConversations: Shara McCallumShara McCallum, Director of the Stadler Center for PoetryShara McCallum - The Face of Water: New and Selected PoemsShara McCallum: The Process of Writing PoetryEssaysThe Caribbean Review of Books: Family treasureGeoffrey Philp, author of Who's Your Daddy?: In My Own Words: Shara McCallum~~~~~