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Show !TUESDAY, FEBRUARY ll, 2000 UNIVERSITY JOURNAL ARTS . PAGE9 BYU's 'Distiriguished Poet' to visit SUU Leslie Norris, humanities professor of · Norris began his education at creative writing and poet-in-residence at Georgetown School and Cyfarthfa Castle BYU, will visit SUU Thursday to read , School in Wales. Later he trained as a share and discuss some of his poems teacher at the City of Coventry Training and short stories. College in Wales, before earning a Norris, born in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, master's degree has become one of the most prominent in philosophy at and distinguished poets of this the University of generation. Southampton, Norris' work has been published in England . several prestigious literary forums such Wanting to get as The Atlantic Monthly and The New involved in the Yorker. His poems and short stories poetic scene of have won international awards and have America, and been widely anthologized . He is the only bring his training writer elected a fellow of both the Welsh in education to Academy and England's Royal Academy bear, Norris of Literature. came to the The Katherine Mansfield Triennial United States to Award , Norris' most prestigious award teach at the which is thought to be the best award in University of English , was given to him for a piece he Washington , wrote called ·waxwings·. where he taught Norris was also one of three finalists to a student who be named Poet Laureate of England, the had a degree highest honor a poet could receive. from BYU. Norris Norris wrote his first verse at age said he was seven. A few years later, the defining incredibly moment that told Norris that he was a impressed with poet came as he was walking down a the students. street in his hometown. He touched a As BYU was stone wall that lined the street. Bits of looking to the wall tumbled to the ground. Bits upgrade its lodged in his fingernail. "Startled, he liberal arts realizes/ he has against his palm/ the program. Leslie Norris bulk of the whole world,· wrote Norris of administrators the experience ("A Grain of Sand," decided they needed a internationally Collected Poems (Bridgend, Wales: recognized poet, and they offered the job Seren Press. 1996], p. 218) . to Norris. although he was not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter· day Saints. BYU decided he met the standards of the school and was treated as an equal. Norris first came as a visiting professor, but then accepted a fulltime position and has remained there for the past 15 years. What exactly makes Norris so special? David L~e. professor of English a·nd chair of the department of language and literature here, said, "Everything that we know about, that we think about. that we talk about, that we teach about poetry is manifest in his poems. He not only gets all of the excellence in there, but the poems are fun, witty and interesting . You laugh, you cry, you hurt. you become angry. He can hit every emotion and touch every base in good writing ·along the way. He is the epitome of what it means to be a good writer. Lee said that every April there ia a program with the National Poet Laureate all over the United States called the favorite poet program. "In the program you are'supposed to come in and read your favorite poem , hopefully not one of your own . I read Norris' poems. I have read his poems coast to coast in America . I have read them in New York City, I have read them in Seattle. Last summer I read his poems in New Orleans when my new book came out. I read him everywhere l _go." Now 77 , Norris has published some 30 books of poetry and stories. and his poems, stories, and other works have been published in more than 200 periodicals, collections and anthologies. A PBS film crew will also come to SUU as part of a documentary they are doing on Norris. "Leslie chose where he wanted to have the film crew shoot his readings and he cnose SUU . I think that speaks very highly of our university, and our program," said Lee. "If someone came to me and asked me to nominate as the finest living poet in the world today, my answer would be, with out blinking, Leslie Norris," .said Lee. Even book reviews agree. Tar River Poetry said of Norris, "His work, early and late, seems the product of a wholeness, an assurance, a fine goodness of soul which, combined with his prodigious technical command and glorious musicality, makes him a poet for the long journey, a poet to return again and again for sustenance and joy." High .s chools, SUU sing Weaver donates paintings A "Grand Festival Choir" which will include students from at least 12 high schools will perform at the conclusion of a two-day Southern Utah Choral Festival to be hosted Feb. 25-26 by SUU. The concluding concert is scheduled Feb. 26 at 4 p.m. in the ballroom of the Sharwan Smith Center. The public is invited to attend the free presentation. In addition to the grand festival choir, two high school groups will be selected by the festival's guest conductor to perform at the concert. Gerard Yun, choral lecturer in the SUU music department, will also direct the uoiversity's Concert Choir as part of the program. David Stocker, director of choirs and professor of choral music at Arizona State University, will be the guest conductor and clinician for this year's ninth annual festival at SUU . He will conduct the grand festival choir in five numbers especially prepared for the festival. Stocker conducts ASU's Concert Choir and teaches courses in conducting, choral literature, rehearsal techniques, and seminars in music education. He also coordinates that university's graduate program in choral music. His choral groups have performed at regional and national conferences. Orchestra features Copland With a special spotlight on the works of Aaron Copland, the SUU Symphony Orchestra will present a program Feb. 25-26 emphasizing the nation's struggle for democracy. Concerts titled "A Copland Portrait," will begin at 7:30 p.m. each night in the SUU Auditorium. Admission is $5. Carol Ann Modesitt and Michael Dean , members of the SUU music faculty will perform as soloists. SUU President Steven D. Bennion will narrate the words of Abraham Lincoln during a performance of Copland's "A Lincoln Portrait.· "'A Lincoln Portrait' is a monumental masterpiece," Philip Baldwin, symphony director, explains. · we think this performance will be one to remember. It's appropriate to our concert that February is Lincoln's birth month, and that the year 2000 marks the 100th anniversary of Aaron Copland's birthday.· In addition to the three Copland numbers, the symphony will also perform Morton Gould's "American Salute," which features variations on the Civil War tune "When Johnny Comes Marching Home.· Copland was born in 1900 in Brooklyn, N.Y., to immigrant Jewish parents from Poland and Lithuania. For more information call 586-7892 . A noted Utah artist and former member of the SUU art faculty has made a gift of four original art works to the Braithwaite Fine Arts Gallery. Max Weaver of Orem, who served as chair of the art department at SUU in the late 1950s, recently presented the Gallery with the works. The generous gift includes original paintings of the Cedar City Rock Church, the famed Great White Throne of Zion National Park, and Cedar City's Red Mountain, as well as a ceramic vessel entitled · sea Forms." A native of Layton, Utah, Weaver graduated from Utah State University with bachelor's and master's degrees in art. He also completed graduate work at Brigham Young University, the University of Southern California and Long Beach State College. Weaver began what would be a long and distinguished career in education by accepting Max Weaver a teaching position at Helper Junior High School in 1938; he would go on to teach at Cypress and Logan high schools before joining the art department at SUU. Weaver, who served in the U.S. Army during World War II, completed his teaching career at BYU, where he served for 21 years until his retirement in 1982 as i3 full professor. A member of the Utah County Art Board, he continues to conduct workshops and give demonstrations for schools and clubs throughout the region. He was recognized by the Provo-Orem Chamber of Commerce in 1990 for his contribution to the cultural arts in Utah County, and was one of the state's delegates to the First Congress of Craftsmen in New York City. As an artist, Weaver has exhibited pottery, painting, prints. jewelry and crafts in one-man shows throughout the western United States, and has won many awards for his creative efforts. "To me, art is a personal way of life, unique in every respect to the individual artist.· Weaver has said of the artistic process. "It embraces body, soul and spirit. This is reflected in everything the artist does. Art is creativity in the idea. the design, the material and the process." "We're very grateful for Mr. Weaver's generous.gift," said Clayton Frehner. director of development at SUU, who accepted the works on behalf of the gallery. "It's a pleasure to have an artist of his caliber represented on campus, and particularly so for an artist who is also a former member of our faculty.· . 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