Two Featured Presenters To Read
At Poetry Event In July At GCC
July 7, 2009 Contacts for Media Representatives:
Jerry Porter
jerry.porter@gcmail.maricopa.edu 623.845.3605
Patricia Rhodes Vogel
pr.vogel@gcmail.maricopa.edu 623.845.3014
Two poets will be featured and others are welcome to present their own work or read their favorite selections at the Free Association Poetry Open Mic being presented from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 14, in Room 104E of the Student Union at Glendale Community College (GCC), 6000 W. Olive Ave., Glendale.
The free poetry event is presented monthly in association with the Rorschach Poetry Collective, a diverse and accomplished group of West Valley poets who seek to bring contemporary poetry to local residents. The event is open to the public, and poetry readers are invited to present all styles and stages of writing.
Featured presenters at the July event will be nationally known spoken-word artist Aaron Johnson and GCC English faculty Johnnie Clemens May. Johnson is a GCC alumnus who won the 2001 International Poetry Interpretation championship and is the 2006 Arcosanti Haiku champion. He has performed his poetry in theatres, bars, poetry slams, high schools, universities, art galleries, comic-book stores, street corners, book stores, living rooms and 40 states in the past three years.
May has served as advisor to the GCC Poetry Club. She also has served as an advisor and poetry judge for The Traveler magazine, which is published by GCC and spotlights students' writing and art. Along with having published her own poetry, May has hosted poetry readings, delivered lectures on poetry to community organizations and been a student of nationally recognized poets. Several of her students have won awards in poetry and the personal essay.
GCC student Jessica Standifird, who formed The Rorschach Poetry Collective, will host the event. Celebrating a variety of styles and forms, Rorschach Poets have been published in top literary journals around the world, been invited to perform at National Slam festivals plus the Mesa Arts Center and ASU's Kerr Cultural Center. Contact Standifird at 602.810.4574 or http://www.freeassociationpoetry@gmail.com.
GCC is one of the 10 Maricopa Community Colleges and offers associate degrees and certificate programs that last year attracted more than 30,000 students to GCC's main campus in Glendale and the GCC North campus, 5727 W. Happy Valley Road, Phoenix. Registration is under way for Fall semester classes. Go to http://My.Maricopa.edu, click on "Find a Class," the appropriate semester and location to see what course offerings are available and to register. Assistance also is available by calling GCC Enrollment Services at 623.845.3333.
