MOUNT VERNON – Marcus Jackson, recipient of the 2019 Ohioana Book Award in Poetry, will speak Tuesday as part of the “Ohio Writers Series" at the Public Library of Mount Vernon and Knox County.
This event will be held from 6:30-7:45 p.m. in the library’s outdoor annex at 201 N. Mulberry St. in Mount Vernon (rain site: Urton Clockhouse in Ariel Foundation Park). Blackberry mocktails will be served, and Jackson will read from “Pardon My Heart," then join in conversation with Andy Grace, Kenyon College professor and peer poet.
“The conversation between Jackson and Grace is sure to be lively and entertaining,” said Library Development and Writing Program Manager Jamie Lyn Smith-Fletcher. “Jackson has a knack for bringing out the extraordinary, and it’s an honor to have two poets in conversation at the library.”
Jackson was born and raised in Toledo. After earning his BA at the University of Toledo, he continued his poetry studies in NYU's graduate creative writing program and as a Cave Canem fellow. His poems have appeared in The American Poetry Review, The New Yorker, and The New York Times Magazine, among other publications. His chapbook, Rundown, was published by Aureole Press in 2009. His debut full-length collection of poems, entitled "Neighborhood Register," was released in 2011, and his second book-length collection, "Pardon My Heart," was published by TriQuarterly Books/Northwestern University Press in 2018.
The New York Times praised “Pardon My Heart” for being “plain-spoken but never plain…the arrival of a thrilling new voice in American poetry, one whose writing, on page after page, has the fullness and glow of a jubilee.”
In addition to his work as a poet, Jackson is a much-sought after photographer whose images showcase the lives of ordinary people. Patrons wishing to view Jackson’s work may visit his website at https://www.poetmarcusjackson.com/.
The library is offering free copies of “Pardon My Heart” beginning at the main library this week, and continuing while supplies last. This program is part of the Humanities Grants for Libraries, an initiative of the American Library Association (ALA) made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
Upcoming Ohio Writers Series events include Joey Kim and Ayendy Bonifacio (Aug. 9) and Ira Sukrungruang (Sept. 20). The library’s reading series is a collaboration with Mount Vernon Arts Consortium, the Kenyon Review, and Kenyon College Office for Community Partnerships. Reservations are encouraged, but not required for this program. Visit www.knox.net, email knoxwrites1@gmail.com or call 740-392- ext. 259 for more information.
Please note that in the event of inclement weather, this event will be relocated to Ariel Foundation Park’s Urton Clockhouse, 10 Pittsburgh Ave., Mount Vernon. If the event is relocated, registered attendees will be notified by email, signs will be placed at the main library and a public announcement will be recorded at 740-392-2665, Ext. 259, no later than 4 p.m. on the day of the event.
