Traverse City Events: You Are Hear! is an interactive city-wide poetry project created by writer Kelly Clare, a graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy, and a two-time National Writers Series scholarship winner. Clare is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Creative Writing at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois.
Simultaneously a celebration of location and an attempt to bring poetry to the street corners and sidewalks of Traverse City, You Are Hear! weaves poetry and "place" together through the use of unobtrusive audio links accessible via smartphone.
The inspiration for You Are Hear! comes from a multitude of sources: Heather Christle's Telephone Project; public poetry in Scotland; and The Knox Writer's House -an audio archive of writers across America. Clare says about the project, "I think that if the way people interacted with poetry were altered, if poetry were woven into everyday life, then the perception of poetry would change. Instead of asking people to come into a poetry reading, why not bring poetry outdoors? Put voices everywhere, so that all of us might experience them, the way one would a wild animal, a view, or the light hanging just so."
Participating poets include Fleda Brown, Marcy Branski, Jim Crockett, Mike Delp, Elaine McIntosh, Anne-Marie Oomen, Jenny Robertson, Teresa Scollon, Jennifer Steinorth, Holly Wren Spaulding, Angela Williams and NWS's newest writer in residence francine j. harris. Each poet will record an original poem about a location in and around Traverse City. These locations will feature a QR code that you can scan using your smartphone. Once scanned you will be able to hear an audio file recorded by one of the participating poets about that location.
Locations include Horizion Books, Brilliant Books, Lake Michigan, Old Town Playhouse, Raven's Child, Hanna Park, Clinch Park Marina, and many more. Clare says, "The hope is that the project will root the poem in landscape and streetscape, in the here of it all, and allow the audience to hold the phone up to their ear, a little closer, and listen in –to hear."
You are Hear! location guides will be available at nationalwritersseries.org prior to the event.
STORYFEST 2013 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Friday, September 27
7 PM at the City Opera House An Evening in Conversation with Michael Paterniti Doors open at 6PM for a pre-event reception with a cash bar, bite-sized treats from Morsels Bakery, and Cheshire cheese from Zingerman's.
For More Information or to Purchase Tickets
Reserved Seating: $25 (ticket only) $42 (ticket plus book)
General Admission: $20 (ticket only) $37 (ticket plus book)
Educator discount: $5 off ticket price with ID Student discount: $10 off ticket price with ID
Saturday, September 28
All Day at locations across the city You Are Hear! A poetry project Free
Complete details below
9 am to noon, Front Street Writers Studio – 123 W. Front Street Writing Workshop
THE MEANING OF THE TRUTH (AND VICE-VERSA): MEMOIR AND MEMORY
Instructor: Gail Griffin 10 spaces available, $75 each
For more information or to register
2 to 4 pm, Front Street Writers Studio – 123 W. Front Street Writing Workshop
"COME FORTH INTO THE LIGHT OF THINGS": GET BACK TO PAYING ATTENTION TO THE NATURAL WORLD, BY TURNING AWAY FROM THE WORLD OF SCREENS
Instructor: Michael Delp 10 spaces available, $75 each
For more information or to register
Sunday, September 29
All Day at locations across the city You Are Hear! A poetry project Free
Complete details below
10 am to noon, Front Street Writers Studio – 123 W. Front Street Poetry Workshop
POETRY
Instructor: francine j. harris 10 spaces available, $75 each
For more information or to register
2 to 4 pm, Front Street Writers Studio – 123 W. Front Street Writing Workshop
OUT OF NOWHERE: CREATING IDEAS FOR FICTION WRITING
Instructor: Andy Mozina
10 spaces available, $75 each
For more information or to register
Monday, September 30
7 PM at the City Opera House An Evening in Conversation with Jamie Ford Doors open at 6PM for a pre-event reception with a cash bar, bite-sized treats from Morsels Bakery.
For More Information or to Purchase Tickets
Reserved Seating: $30 (ticket only) $47 (ticket plus book)
General Admission: $25 (ticket only) $42 (ticket plus book)
Educator discount: $5 off ticket price with ID Student discount: $10 off ticket price with ID