Jean Burden Poetry Reading at Cal State L.A. to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Black Arts, Civil Rights movements
What: Renowned writer, poet, playwright and activist Sonia Sanchez will present this year’s Jean Burden Poetry Reading at Cal State L.A. on Thursday, May 14. Admission to the event is free to the public.
Who: Sanchez, who is one of the legendary figures of the Black Arts Movement, will read from her works, which contributed to the awakening of black consciousness. The Black Arts Movement, a literary movement which advanced social engagement, emerged in the wake of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. There will be a book sale and signing after the reading.
More: Sanchez is the author of more than 20 books and poetry collections, and is a contributing editor to Black Scholar and The Journal of African Studies. In December of 2011, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter selected Sonia Sanchez as Philadelphia’s first Poet Laureate, calling her “the longtime conscience of the city.” She was the first Presidential Fellow at Temple University and she held the Laura Carnell Chair in English at Temple University. She is the recipient of the 2004 Harper Lee Award, and the 2006 National Visionary Leadership Award. Currently, Sonia Sanchez is one of 20 African American women featured in “Freedom Sisters,” an interactive exhibition created by the Cincinnati Museum Center and Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition. For more about Sanchez, go to http://soniasanchez.net/bio/
When: Thursday, May 14, 6:30 p.m. Doors will open at 5:45 p.m. for reception and seating.
Where: Wallis Annenberg Sciences Complex, Wing B, Lecture Hall 132. The University is located at the Eastern Avenue exit, San Bernardino Freeway, at the interchange of the 10 and 710 Freeways. Public (permit dispensers) parking is available on the top level of Parking Structure C. For campus map and directions, go to /univ/maps/cslamap.php.
Info: This event is sponsored by the Center for Contemporary Poetry and Poetics, Department of English, and College of Arts and Letters at Cal State L.A. It is also co-sponsored by W.W. Norton and Co. and Statement Magazine. For more on the poetry reading, call the Cal State L.A. English Department at (323) 343-4140.
Jean Burden Annual Poetry Series
This series, one of the longest running and most prestigious in the U.S., was established in 1986 by friends of the late Jean Burden to honor her achievements as a poet, essayist, editor, teacher and scholar. An Illinois native, University of Chicago alumna, and Altadena resident, Burden served as poetry editor of Yankee Magazine for 47 years, and published two collections of poetry, a volume of essays on poetry, and six books on animal welfare. Sustained by a generous bequest from Virginia E. Smith, the Jean Burden Series has featured such guest readers as Lucille Clifton, Victor Hernández Cruz, Rita Dove, Anthony Hecht, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Galway Kinnell, Carolyn Kizer, Maxine Kumin, Andrew Motion, Harryette Mullen, Mary Oliver, Linda Pastan, Adrienne Rich, Mark Strand, and Richard Wilbur.
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Cal State L.A. is a university dedicated to engagement, service, and the public good. Founded in 1947, the University serves over 24,000 active students, and 235,000 distinguished alumni, who are as diverse as the city we serve. Located in the heart of Los Angeles, Cal State L.A. has long been recognized as an engine of economic and social mobility. Led by an award-winning faculty, the University offers nationally recognized programs in science, the arts, business, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, education and the humanities.
Cal State L.A. is home to the critically-acclaimed Luckman Fine Arts Complex, Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs, Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center, Hydrogen Research and Fueling Facility, Billie Jean King Sports Complex, TV, Film and Media Center and the Center for Engagement, Service, and the Public Good. For more information, visit CalStateLA.edu, or like us at Facebook.com/CalStateLA.
05/07/15