Listen to what is behind the work at Voices of Poetry public celebration on Sept. 26
One of the most interesting things about Voices of Poetry hosting three poets and a musician Sept. 26 at the Center for the Spiritual Journey in Chatham is the life experience each guest brings.
Blind since birth, Stephen Kuusisto, wrote “Have Dog, Will Travel: A Poet’s Journey” (Simon & Schuster, 2018); “Eavesdropping: A Memoir of Blindness and Listening” (W.W. Norton & Company, 2006); and the memoir “Planet of the Blind” (Delta, 1998).
Writing with his other senses, Kuusisto has been recognized by The New York Times as “a powerful writer with a musical ear for language and a gift for emotional candor.” His newest collection of poems, “Close Escapes,” will be published by Copper Canyon Press in April 2025.
How to join an evening of poetry and song in Chatham
Kuusisto will join poets Robert Carr and Jeannette de Beauvoir and singer/songwriter Paul Kehoe at 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26, at the Center for the Spiritual Journey, formerly Pilgrim’s Landing, 880 Main St. (Route 28) in Chatham. The location is handicapped accessible. Tickets are $10 and will be sold at the door.
Carr was the first HIV testing counselor with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. In response to the HIV pandemic, he spent 33 years working in public health and retired from the position of Deputy Director for the Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory Sciences in Massachusetts. The award-winning poet is a member of Writing the Land, an initiative pairing poets and land trusts in order to promote preservation.
Jeannette de Beauvoir is a poet and bestselling author of mysteries and historical fiction. Describing herself as a storyteller, she lives and works in Provincetown. She has published more than a dozen novels, including “Our Lady in the Dunes” set in 1940s Provincetown. Her work has appeared in several poetry publications and in 2020 she won the Outermost Poetry Contest national award judged by Marge Piercy.
Singer/songwriter Kehoe taught second grade in Brewster for many years in public and private schools. He has led many school programs entertaining children with songs focused on social and emotional learning. He is a regular at local open mic nights. In 2020, he teamed up with Mary Wilson ― founder of the Pitter Patter Puppets ― to create a series of children’s shows for Cape Rep Theatre called “Puppets, Paul & Mary.”
This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Learn how a blind man 'sees' the world: 3 poets Sept. 26 in Chatham
