Fans of American poetry and writing are in for a treat this week when one of the world’s greatest living poets, Alice Notley, will give a performance this Friday night (6 July 2018) at the Birmingham and Midland Institute, Margaret St.
The event is being organised as part of a day of discussions and readings at the University of Birmingham, called ‘New Work of the New York School’.
The performance will start at 6.30pm and will feature Ms Notley reading some of her best known works. She will be joined by four other exciting contemporary poets - Edmund Berrigan, Mark Ford, Rosa Campbell and Peter Robinson. Their work is in some way informed by or connected to the New York School of poetry.
Born in 1945, Ms Notley is the author of numerous pioneering, visionary works, published by several publishers including Penguin. These include Dr Williams’ Heiresses (1980), The Descent of Alette (1996), Mysteries of Small Houses (1998), Disobedience (2001), Grave of Light (2008), and Certain Magical Acts (2016). In 1999 she was a finalist for Pulitzer Prize for Poetry.
Dr Rona Cran, Lecturer in Twentieth-Century American Literature in the University of Birmingham’s Department of English Literature, says: “This will be a great and rare opportunity for people to hear one of the greatest living voices in American poetry and all are welcome."