Spring Break
California poet laureate visits OSU Valley Library
Carol Muske Dukes comes to Corvallis as part of Visiting Writers Series to read about her late husband who inspires much of her writing
Caitlin Cagle
Issue date: 2/23/09 Section: News
The Visiting Writers Series at OSU continued last week with an event hosted on Friday.
California's poet laureate (an honor given to poets from the government to travel and read in order to raise the status of poetry), Carol Muske Dukes, visited the Valley Library's main floor rotunda to read her poetry to the Corvallis and OSU community.
Muske Dukes has received high praise and acceptance for her seven poetry collections as well as her novels. She was appointed poet laureate for the state of California in the fall of 2008.
"I have a mandate from Governor Schwarzenegger," Muske Dukes said to a laughing audience. "No, really."
As poet laureate, Muske Dukes must raise the appreciation for and status of poetry in her state.
"The state of California mandates that I have to do a certain number of poetry readings per year, plus a state-wide public project, which I'm calling the Magic School Bus. Artists will go to public schools to speak to the children and then leave manuals in place so that after they leave, the teachers themselves can continue the lessons."
Muske Dukes' poetry reading was well-received by the audience. The main floor rotunda of the Valley Library had been transformed into a stage where the seats quickly filled and students and patrons of the community hung over the balcony rails to listen to Muske Dukes.
"I can't overstate Carol's influence," said Karen Holmberg, a poetry specialist in OSU's master of fine arts program. "Carol taught the very first poetry workshop I ever took. Up until then, I never had the courage to take a poetry workshop."
Muske Dukes began her reading by telling the audience of the death of her husband and her grief, one of the main inspirations and themes in her poetry.
"We turn to poetry for the great occasions of our lives. Births, deaths, 9/11, anything. It says what we can't. Poetry does that," Muske Dukes said before she began a series of poems based on the "great occasions" of her life.
California's poet laureate (an honor given to poets from the government to travel and read in order to raise the status of poetry), Carol Muske Dukes, visited the Valley Library's main floor rotunda to read her poetry to the Corvallis and OSU community.
Muske Dukes has received high praise and acceptance for her seven poetry collections as well as her novels. She was appointed poet laureate for the state of California in the fall of 2008.
"I have a mandate from Governor Schwarzenegger," Muske Dukes said to a laughing audience. "No, really."
As poet laureate, Muske Dukes must raise the appreciation for and status of poetry in her state.
"The state of California mandates that I have to do a certain number of poetry readings per year, plus a state-wide public project, which I'm calling the Magic School Bus. Artists will go to public schools to speak to the children and then leave manuals in place so that after they leave, the teachers themselves can continue the lessons."
Muske Dukes' poetry reading was well-received by the audience. The main floor rotunda of the Valley Library had been transformed into a stage where the seats quickly filled and students and patrons of the community hung over the balcony rails to listen to Muske Dukes.
"I can't overstate Carol's influence," said Karen Holmberg, a poetry specialist in OSU's master of fine arts program. "Carol taught the very first poetry workshop I ever took. Up until then, I never had the courage to take a poetry workshop."
Muske Dukes began her reading by telling the audience of the death of her husband and her grief, one of the main inspirations and themes in her poetry.
"We turn to poetry for the great occasions of our lives. Births, deaths, 9/11, anything. It says what we can't. Poetry does that," Muske Dukes said before she began a series of poems based on the "great occasions" of her life.
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