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Show i i Westminster Poetry Series to feature distinguished poets by Ann Gambrino Forum staff writer - Patricia Traxler, featured poet and fictional writer, opened the 1992-9- 3 Westminster Poetry Series on Thursday, Oct. 16, at Nunemaker Place. The evening began on a humorous note as Traxler read two of her compositions, which she described as excuse poems, describing her early childhood days in San Diego growing up in a Catholic family. These poems, How I Got This Way, and Faith, Or Why I Cant Swim set the mood for the evening with their natural, clear and artful words. They definitely identified Traxler as a poet of energy, strength and Patricia Traxler was the premier Her passionate energy was guest poet at the '92 Poetry Series. endurance. exemplified through her expressive poetic as a Bunting Fellow for Poetry at Radcliffe. contradictions. As the evening progressed, Traxler read Her poems have appeared in several magaof Salina, Kan., and the farm women in zines, including The Nation and The American Voice. Her most current book of poKilling Time. The audience also experietry, Forbidden Words, will be available enced her First Prairie Winter. She described her emotions regarding war in A in 1993. The Westminster Poetry series is part of Subjective Movie Review of the film The Deer Hunter. A pleasantly amusing air a revival that has been occurring in Utah 10 Before that time, no over the emerged as she recounted a past lovers formal past years. series existed here. poetry reading scorn for die poetic usage of the words, The infrequent poetry readings that did take dream, dawn, love, sky, heart, cloud, moon place were attended by only a handful of and forever, in Forbidden Words. poets and students. The Westminster series Traxler spoke of her Irish grandmother, remains Utahs only formalized reading Nora, who read Bryants Thanatopsis at series with a published schedule. breakfast while eating her Wheaties. Scott Cairns, former Westminster profesGrandmother gave me poetry, Traxler said sor, organized the Westminster Poetry Se. as she launched into several readings dediries in 1987 as a partnership between Westcated to the woman who impacted her life minster College and Kings English Bookmore than any other person. store, with the assistance of the Utah Arts were and voice Taxlers gentle Councils Community Grants Program. energy Later, the series also became affiliated with symphonic. Her poetry was genuine, expressive and unquestionably superior. the University of Utah. bePoetry comes out of the strangest part of . In 1991, in order for the series to come more independent and to focus on the ether, she said. Traxler has completed her second year growth opportunities, the affiliations with Poet and Westminster professor Katharine Coles directs the series. . Accreditation available reports Academic Vice President Stephen Baar has made available a very rough self-stud-y first draft of the institution-wid- e report, an edited version of which will be submitted to the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges this spring reaccredias part of the colleges tation process. Copies of this report are available for students to review in the A.S.W.C. Office, in the library, from Julie Wamick the student representative on the self-stuand in the steering committee Dean of Students office. Open meetings are scheduled Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 3-- 5 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Bamberger 107 for faculty, staff and students to share their responses with Baar and Margot Kadesch, assistant academic vice president. The entire campus community needs to be involved in this self study process, said Baar, so that we make sure we do an honest job of assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the institution to present to the Commission on Colleges of the Northwest Association as part of our accreditation. A team of nine evaluators will visit the campus to meet with faculty, staff and students April 5-- 7, 1993. the University of Utah and Kings English Bookstore ended. Westminster professor Dr. Katharine Coles was invited to take over the directorship of the series and has since intent of been committed to the long-sougreaching a broader community of readers and listeners than in the past. The series now features poets from all over the country and attracts diverse audiences. The series is sponsored by the Utah Arts Council, Catalyst magazine, Kings English Bookstore, Friends of the Westminster Poetry Series, the Westminster College Department of English and the National Endowment for the Aits. On Thursday, Dec. 3, Coles will be reading as part of the poetry series. Coles is a staff member of Westminsters English department, teaching creative writing and advising the Ellipsis class. She received her doctorate in creative writing from the University of Utah and taught for two years as an adjunct professor at Westminster before joining the staff. She has received grants for poetry and fiction from the National Endowment for the Arts and has been pub ht , 1 lished in The New Republic, North American Review, and other magazines. Her book of poems, The One Right Touch, will be available on Nov. 1. Telling stories aloud began around the campfires cavemen and has been part of our lives since. The tradition lost its importance for a time, but people are beginning to reWe forget how wonstore the practice. derful and comfortable it is to be read to, said Coles. We read to children, but adults do not read to each other. It is the intent of the scries to bring back this tradition. Coles is excited about the series and added, If we get involved in the music and sense of whats being read, theres a new dimension to the poem. Other renowned poets in the series include Robert Pack, professor of English at Middlebury College. He is also a childrens writer, essayist and director of the Bread-loa- f Writers Conference. His most recent book is Inheritance: Reflections on a Gene Pool. Pack will be reading on Thursday, Nov. 19. Anthony Hecht was recipient of the Bollingen Prize in Poetry, the Pulitzer Prize for poetry and the Eugenio Montale Award. He has written several books of poetry, including The Transparent Man, The Hard Hours and Venetian Vespers. He is also known for his translations and critical essays. Hecht will be reading on Thursday, Feb. 19. Mark Strand is a Mac Arthur Fellow, 1991-9- 2 Poet Laureate and is currently a Distinguished Professor of English at the University of Utah. He also writes childrens books and short fiction. His latest poetry book is entitled Dark Harbor. Strand will be reading on Thursday, April 8. All readings will be in Nunemaker Place at 8 p.m. They are open to the public and are free of charge. Librex-Guggenhei- m Past director of jazz studies at Westminster, Ladd McIntosh will direct once again at Reunion Jazz Fest Ladd McIntosh will join fellow alumni OcL 30 and 3 1 to direct jazz concerts associated with the Westminster Reunion Jazz 10-ye- ar dy Fest. McIntosh was Director of Jazz Studies at Westminster College for three years, leading the college to national recognition for its jazz program. During this period the program also contributed to the success of such talents as Joe Muscolino, Lisa Nemzo, Ritambhara Tyson, George Souza, Mike Clinco, Tim May, Albert Wing, Stu Goldberg, the Fowler Brothers and many more all of whom will be joining McIntosh OcL 30 and 31. McIntosh holds degrees in composition and woodwind performance from Ohio State University. While he was a student, he won writing awards at major college jazz festivals on five separate occasions. This early appointment recognition led to his two-yeat the University of Utah and then to director of jazz studies at Westminster. McIntosh has long been recognized as a leading jazz educator. He has published numerous compositions which are played by university and high school jazz bands across the country and abroad. He recently published a text on jazz improvisation. Presently McIntosh writes for and directs ... ar 1 Ladd McIntosh, past director of Jazz studies at Westminster, will be back on campus for the Westminster Jazz Reunion. The Ladd McIntosh Big Band, a Los Angeles-based group made up of seasoned Holband is made lywood pros. The credwhose of combined up professionals its are remarkable. The band is now in its twelfth year and has recently released a new CD, Bulbous Garlic Blues, on the Sea Breeze Jazz Records label. Cheryl Bentyne of Manhattan Transfer is the featured vocalist on this CD, the second by the band on Sea Breeze. The bands previous album, review in Energy, received a four-stDownbeat magazine and a large amount of airplay. McIntosh has written and conducted for Clark Terry, Connie Stevens and Toni Ten-nillHe recently has written special arrangements for Eddie Daniels, Phil Woods and Monty Alexander. He has appeared six times at the Monterey Jazz Festival as director of the California High School All-StBand. Thanks to fellow alumnus Bruce Fowler, McIntosh has also recently worked as an orchestrator on the Penny Marshall hit film A League of Their Own, as well as the new Robert Altman film Short Cuts. McIntosh will have a chance to display his talents again on campus when he returns for the Westminster Reunion Jazz FesL October 27, 1992 rrtv bwwwm!.w U7 18-pie- ce ar e. ar forum Page 5 r |