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Nearly 1000 books related to the craft of poetry will now be housed at Allen University. The school will celebrate the grand opening of the Langston Hughes Poetry Center and Library this Saturday.
In cultures where the written word has effectively charted and recorded the history of those cultures, books have been a necessary and wonderful resource, and libraries have been some of the most important institutions in such cultures, said Ghanian poet and actor Kwame Dawes, one of the librarys co-founders. I can think of no better way of providing a community with a sense of his history and culture than a library full of the rich poetry of that community.
Dawes and Dr. Charlene Spearen, interim Vice President of Academic Affairs and professor of English, founded the library to develop an extensive collection of poems, anthologies and research on poetry. The library is inclusive of poets of various backgrounds, but it specifically offers a vast display of works of some of the most notable poets of color of the 20th and 21st centuries.
The location of the library on the campus of Allen University, which is within the Historic Waverly Community, is also significant, Spearen said. One can take any poetry collection off a shelf and immediately read poems that are a form of music, visual art, and dance that speaks to ones sense of self simultaneously in the context of individuality, community, faith and social justice.
In the early years of his career, Hughes gave a reading of his work at Allen Universitys Chapelle auditorium, Spearen said in an email to Cola Daily. The event was promoted as an opportunity to cross racial barriers as all of the public was invited.
The naming of the center after the renowned poet also represents the impact Hughes continues to have on college students, poets and the public, as well as his ability to capture the daily human experience.
Hughess poems focus on the everyday moments, everyday peoplein a way that he navigates these spaces by way of mastering the use of imagery, complex literary devices and the music that rises from the page when the sounds of words are paired in exquisite ways, Spearen said.
In addition to Hughess own work being featured in the collection, guests will be able to browse through works from award-winning poets like Terrance Hayes, Marie Howe, Gary Soto, Kevin Young, Li Young Li. Nationally recognized poet Nikki Giovanni donated over 20 autographed works, as did renowned poet and activist Amiri Baraka, who contributed a few pieces before his death last year.
The collection also features poems from Caribbean and Native American poets, as well as Dawes and National Book Award winnerNikky Finney.
Spearen said the center will host workshops, social gatherings, a fall writers series and provide venues for guests poets to share their work. An hip hop conference is scheduled to be held at the center on April 17.
The grand opening kicks off on Jan. 31 at 9 a.m. with a continental breakfast followed by master seminars with Dawes and Finney. Workshops will take place throughout the day. The event will close with a reception, poetry reading by Dawes and Finney and an open mic.
The Langston Hughes Poetry Center and Library is located at 1329 Pine St.
Source: http://coladaily.com/2015/01/30/allen-university-celebrates-grand-opening-of-poetry-center-dedicated-to-langston-hughes-this-saturday/
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