Art Reach of Mid Michigan to host first Wellspring Literary Series event
Art Reach of Mid Michigan, a center for unifying artists and the community, will host the first Wellspring Literary Series event of the fall semester at 7 p.m. on Oct. 1.
The Wellspring Series is put on and facilitated twice a semester by poet and Central Michigan University professor Robert Fanning.
The events, which take place at 111 E. Broadway St., are free and open to the Mount Pleasant community and CMU students.
"In addition to providing a space to hear some of Michigan's best writers, the series also provides opportunities for CMU writing students to read their works-in-progress in public alongside these prominent authors," according to the CMU website.
For a decade, the Mount Pleasant and CMU communities have been given these opportunities to hear the work of established regional writers.
Before the main event, which is a reading from an established author, there is a complimentary dinner catered by Max and Emily’s and readings from a CMU student poet and local musicians.
The first installment of the 2018 and 2019 readers will feature award-winning poet and fiction author Marc Hudson, who has been published in both the United States and the United Kingdom.
Hudson taught for many years at Wabash University in Crawfordsville, Indiana and still resides there with his wife Helen.
Fanning invites all students to unwind.
“(Marc) Hudson is a wonderful author and poet, you won’t be disappointed,” he said.
Fanning expects there to be a large audience at the final Wellspring Series on April 15. Because of this, the event will be moved to the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan at 319 S. University Ave.
"Last year, I made the mistake of not booking a bigger space," Fanning said. "A lot of students had to be turned away."
Dates for this year's Wellspring Literary Series:
October 1, 2018: Marc Hudson
November 12, 2018: Kim D. Hunter
Detroit native Kim D. Hunter is the author of the fiction collection "The Official Report on Human Activity." He is currently employed in media relations for social justice groups. Hunter also co-directed the Woodward Line Poetry Series for 13 years which earned Knight Arts Challenge Detroit in 2013.
March 18, 2019: Cindy Hunter Morgan
Cindy Hunter Morgan teaches poetry and creative writing at Michigan State University. She is the author of a full-length poetry collection and two chapbooks – "Harborless," which is a 2018 Michigan Notable Book and winner of the 2017 Moveen Prize in Poetry, and "Apple Season." Morgan’s work has appeared in a variety of literary journals.
April 15, 2019: Russell Brakefield with music by Daryl and the Beans
Russell Brakefield is an alumnus of CMU, and the author of "Field Recordings." His writing has appeared in multiple journals. Brakefield received his MFA in poetry from the University of Michigan’s Helen Zell Writers’ Program. He teaches writing at the University Writing Program at the University of Denver.
