Village Lights Bookstore in Madison, Indiana, will host Poetpalooza 2015: A Tri-State Poetry Summit, Friday evening, April 3, through Saturday, April 4. Poetpalooza is an annual event, presenting readings and signings by regionally and nationally recognized published poets from Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio, including Poets Laureate of Indiana and Kentucky. Headliners for 2015 will be Indiana Poet Laureate Norbert Krapf, Kentucky Poet Laureate Maureen Morehead, and Kentucky Poet Laureate Richard Taylor. The event will host book launches by Indiana poets Curtis Crisler, Jill Kelly Koren, and Jack Ramey. This year’s Featured Independent Publisher is Accents Publishing of Kentucky. For Poetpalooza 2015, the Community Foundation of Madison and Jefferson County is sponsoring two screenings of the award-winning independent film, Proud Citizen, directed by Kentucky filmmaker, Thomas Southerland, and starring Katerina Stoykova-Klemer of Accents Publishing. The public is invited to participate in Friday evening’s kick-off event, an open mic emceed by emerging poets Alex Acosta and Harlan Kelly. Indiana poet Tony Brewer and his typewriter will provide “Poetry on Demand” in front of the store through the day on Saturday “as the mood strikes.” Poetpalooza is a flow-through event held during regular business hours, with books from the participating poets and the Featured Independent Publisher available for purchase. Visitors can stand, sit, browse, listen… come and go, as they see fit, throughout the event. Each poet or group will take the stage at the top or bottom of an hour and read for 20 to 40 minutes. After reading, they will be available for signing in the front of the shop.
PARTICIPATING POETS
Alex Acosta (IN)
Jason Ammerman (IN)
Bianca Bargo (KY)
Tony Brewer (IN)
Curtis Crisler (IN)
Nettie Farris (IN)
Gerry Grubbs (OH)
Tom C. Hunley (KY)
Harlan Kelly (IN)
Joseph Kerschbaum (IN)
Jill Kelly Koren (IN)
Norbert Krapf, Indiana Poet Laureate, 2008-2010
Maureen Morehead, Kentucky Poet Laureate, 2011-2012
Jack Ramey (IN)
Barbara Sabol (OH)
Frederick Smock (KY)
Katerina Stoykova-Klemer (KY)
Richard Taylor, Kentucky Poet Laureate, 1999-2001