Connecting established and emerging authors with the community has been the goal of the College of Southern Marylands Connections series since it began more than 20 years ago, with this springs series no exception in bringing nationally recognized talent up-close and personal with a Southern Maryland audience.
Kicking off the spring literary events March 2 will be New Orleans author Randy Fertel. Maryland Poet Laureate Stanley Plumly will be featured March 23 followed by Baltimore poet Kendra Kopelke, April 13. Rounding out the series will be the Connections literary magazine publication reading, April 27.
Fertel will read from his memoir The Gorilla Man and the Empress of Steak beginning at 7:30 p.m., March 2, at CSMs Leonardtown Campus, Building A, Auditorium. The memoir weaves the stories of his iconic New Orleanian parents, one famous Ruth, founder of Ruths Chris Steak House and one infamous Rodney, known as The Gorilla Man for his quixotic 1969 run for mayor and promise to get a gorilla for the zoo. It is a bittersweet story of one of New Orleans most legendary families, and the famous steak house that bears their name.
Plumly will present his work beginning at 7:30 p.m., March 23, at CSMs Prince Frederick Campus, Room 119. Plumly is a professor at the University of Maryland and founder of the master of fine arts program in creative writing there. He is the author of nine books of poetry, including Old Hearth, a National Book Award finalist and winter of the LA Times Book Prize. His most recent book is Posthumous Keats, a personal biography of the poet John Keats. Plumly is the recipient of several awards and fellowships including a Guggenheim Fellowship, eight Pushcart Prizes, the Paterson Poetry Prize, an Academy Award in literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and a fellowship from the Rockefeller Foundation. He is a member of the Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Kopelke will be featured beginning at 7:30 p.m., April 13, at CSMs La Plata Campus, Learning Resource Building, Room 102. Kopelke is the author of five books of poetry, most recently Hoppers Women, a book of poems based on the paintings of Edward Hopper. She is the founding editor of Passager, a journal and press dedicated to the work of older writers and directs the masters of fine arts in creative writing and publishing arts at the University of Baltimore.
Completing the Connections series will be readings by contributors to the spring literary magazine, beginning at 7:30 p.m., April 27, at the La Plata Campus, Business and Industry Building, Room 103. The event is free. Deadline to submit poetry, short stories or black-and-white photography for consideration in the magazine is March 17.
For information on Connections, study guides and author links visit www.csmd.edu/connections. Books featured are available at any CSM College Store or online at www.csmd.edu/CollegeStore.
Calendar Listings
CSMs Connections Literary Series: Connections Magazine Publication Submissions Deadline. March 17. Submissions to the Spring 2012 issue of Connections are limited to five poems, two stories, one essay, or five black and white photographs. Submissions must contain name, address, phone number and a brief biographical statement. Free. Email submissions to connections@csmd.edu.
Calvert County
CSMs Connections Literary Series: Stanley Plumly. 7:30 p.m., March 23, College of Southern Maryland, Prince Frederick Campus, Room 119, 115 J.W. Williams Road, Prince Frederick. CSMs Connections Literary Series welcomes Maryland Poet Laureate, Stanley Plumly to read from and discuss his work. Tickets are $3 advanced sale through the CSM box office and $3 at the door with a student ID. General admission at the door is $5. 301-934-7864, 240-725-5499, 443-550-6199, 301-870-2309, Ext. 7864 or www.csmd.edu/connections.
Charles County
CSMs Connections Literary Series: Kendra Kopelke. 7:30 p.m., April 13, College of Southern Maryland, La Plata Campus, Learning Resource Building, Room 102. CSMs Connections Literary Series welcomes Baltimore Poet Kendra Kopelke to read from and discuss her work. Tickets are $3 advanced sale through the CSM box office and $3 at the door with a student ID. General admission at the door is $5. 301-934-7864, 240-725-5499, 443-550-6199, 301-870-2309, Ext. 7864 or www.csmd.edu/connections.
CSMs Connections Literary Series: Connections Magazine Publication Reading. 7:30 p.m., April 27, College of Southern Maryland, La Plata Campus, Center for Business and Industry, Room 103-104. Contributors to the Spring 2012 issue of Connections will read from and discuss their works. Free. 301-934-7864, 240-725-5499, 443-550-6199, 301-870-2309, Ext. 7864 or www.csmd.edu/connections.
St. Marys County
CSMs Connections Literary Series: Randy Fertel. 7:30 p.m., March 2, College of Southern Maryland, Leonardtown Campus, Building A, Auditorium, 22950 Hollywood Road, Leonardtown. CSMs Connections Literary Series welcomes New Orleans author, Randy Fertel to read and discuss his memoir The Gorilla Man and the Empress of Steak, about the rise of his mothers restaurant, Ruths Chris Steak House. Tickets are $3 advanced sale through the CSM box office and $3 at the door with a student ID. General admission at the door is $5. 301-934-7864, 240-725-5499, 443-550-6199, 301-870-2309, Ext. 7864 or www.csmd.edu/connections.