By Emma Cranston /// Staff Writer
On Feb. 12, Poets Gillian Conoley and Endi Bogue Hartigan visited the college and gave old words new meanings. Both shared several pieces from multiple collections, but their styles differed vastly.
Conoley was born in Austin, and her poems carried powerful themes with a warm southern accent. She read primarily from her collection “PEACE” and ended with her poem, “Thank you for the Afterlife.” In the later Q&A session, she explained that her collection had formed from her experiences as a teacher, and the fact that many of her students had, “never been alive during a … time when we weren’t at war.” English Professor Jerry Harp English Professor said, “she keeps finding ways of disrupting the worn-out grooves that our poetry all too easily settles into.”
Endi Bogue Hartigan, a Portland based poet, was selected for the Omnidawn Open Prize in 2014. Her poems explored her concept of “time-worlds” which she spoke to with her closing poem, “Anniversaries Walking.”
Unfortunately, Lewis & Clark’s English Department doesn’t host another poetry reading until April 21, but students may attend upcoming readings at Reed College free of charge. Bona Harvey will be reading on Feb. 26, and Jen Bervin will be reading on March 5. Don’t miss out.
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