Chautauqua Poets and Writers brought famed Irish author Eavan Boland to Ashland High School’s Mountain Avenue Theater on Oct. 20 to share her works in poetry and prose, as well as to discuss her progression as an Irish woman author in America.
Starting at 7:30 p.m., Mrs. Boland read and discussed a series of her works, from prose excerpts out of “Object Lessons: The Life of the Woman and the Poet in Our Time,” to samplings of her poems such as “Quarantine,” “The Lost Art of Letter Writing,” and “That the Science of Cartography is Limited.” She detailed her experiences as a writer, particularly as an Irish woman writer, and took numerous questions from the audience.
Eavan Boland shared some of her personal thoughts and inspirations on poetry, and stated that she was inspired by the writings of fellow Irish poet William Butler Yeats, a writer who lived just prior to Boland and who’s writing is well respected in literary circles.
As for particular influences in the subject of her writing, Eavan cites the history of her small country, stating that the past, as a written record, is a “place of whispers and stories and things that are lost,” and much of her poetic material reflects this sentiment.
Chautauqua Poets and Writers is an organization that strives to bring great literary figures into the Rogue Valley, in order to share their work with the community here. There are several upcoming events showcasing other writers in the near future. Coming April 20, 2012, they will be presenting Barry Lopez, award-winning author of “Arctic Dreams,” “Of Wolves and Men,” and “Field Notes.”
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the Chautauqua web page at chautauquawriters.org.
