Dead Poets of Indiana

"A Poem for a Certain Lady on Her 33rd Birthday"

News of Rohana McCormack's funeral

News of Rohana McCormack's funeral from JL Kato's blog.

Obituary in The Indianapolis Star (6-27-11):
McCormack, Rohana J.,

Rohana Jeane Eagles McCormack was born December 23, 1926 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Rohana graduated Duke with a BA and an MA. There she met her husband, Tom McCormack. She received an ABD in Literature and Creative Writing from Purdue. Many of her poems were published in local and national publications. She was an active member of Beth-El Zedeck and IHC Synagogues. Rohana was the loving mother of five children, Gigi Seay, Tom Hans McCormack, David McCormack, William McCormack and Henrietta McCormack. She was the loving grandmother of 13 grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. Services will be held at the Aaron Ruben Nelson Mortuary.

Dead Poets Remembrance Day & Indiana

Across the US the new literary holiday Dead Poets Remembrance Day is going to be celebrated in early October. The official day of the holiday -- so timed because it is the date of Poe's death -- is October 7th.

In Indiana, the recent Poet Laureate, Norbert Krapf, is going to celebrate the new holiday at his October 7th Renssealer reading sponsored by the Prairie Writer's Guild, which the public is hearily welcomed to attend. Krapf is one of 20 current or former State Poets Laureate to endorse Dead Poets Remembrance Day.

Krapf will be reading from his collection, Sweet Sister Moon, and at the beginning he'll mark the holiday by reading poems by Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman and a song lyric by Billie Holiday—and songs from the book about them.

The Indiana event details are: Oct. 7, 7:00, Carnegie Art Center, 301 North Van Rensselaer St., Renssealer, IN

In Boston, California, Alabama, New Hampshire, Colorado, Kansas, and other states people will be gathering to celebrate their state's dead poets. Some will have day-long celebrations, while others will be at individual readings.

Krapf Joins 15 State Laureates to Endorse Holiday

Good news for the good poetry-loving people of Indiana: your recent poet laureate, Norbert Krapf, is the 16th current or former state poet laureate to endorse Dead Poets Remembrance Day.

His two year term ended in June with a party. Welcome aboard the dead poets train, Norbert.

Historic Grand Tour Report Now Online

The initial report of the historic Dead Poets Grand Tour 2010 is now online.

It chronicles all the places visited and the names of the poets read. From the Report: 

"We started on Shakespeare’s birthday, in Portland, Maine, the 23^rd of April, and we ended with a bang 6,500 miles later at the first Boston Poetry Marathon, May 25th. During those 34 days, and with the cooperation of 13 current and former State Poets Laureate, we held a Dead Poets Bash in 19 different States and visited 43 cemeteries!

The Grand Tour map can be accessed at the top left corner of the Dead Poets Society of America blog:  http://deadpoets.typepad.com/dpsablog/  

The other readings and interviews we held at poets’ graves and houses were really great as well, including the Lorine Niedecker home, the Carl Sandburg home, the E.L. Masters home, the Sidney Lanier house, The Virginia Military Institute, The Poe Museum, the Longfellow House and the Woodberry Poetry Room, at Harvard.

All totaled we visited the graves of 75 American poets, and heard the amazing poetry of over 100 American poets read. Dedgar and the crew kept up a pace of just over 191.18 miles per day and 2 poets’ graves per day!

The initial report of the historic Dead Poets Grand Tour 2010 is now online.

It chronicles all the places visited and the names of the poets read. From the Report: 

"We started on Shakespeare’s birthday, in Portland, Maine, the 23^rd of April, and we ended with a bang 6,500 miles later at the first Boston Poetry Marathon, May 25th. During those 34 days, and with the cooperation of 13 current and former State Poets Laureate, we held a Dead Poets Bash in 19 different States and visited 43 cemeteries!

The Grand Tour map can be accessed at the top left corner of the Dead Poets Society of America blog:  http://deadpoets.typepad.com/dpsablog/  

The other readings and interviews we held at poets’ graves and houses were really great as well, including the Lorine Niedecker home, the Carl Sandburg home, the E.L. Masters home, the Sidney Lanier house, The Virginia Military Institute, The Poe Museum, the Longfellow House and the Woodberry Poetry Room, at Harvard.

All totaled we visited the graves of 75 American poets, and heard the amazing poetry of over 100 American poets read. Dedgar and the crew kept up a pace of just over 191.18 miles per day and 2 poets’ graves per day!

Crown Hill Event: Amazing and Yummy

The historic Dead Poets Bash of Indiana turned out to be an amazing event. Not only were we blessed with the presence of 4 famous Indiana poets, we were also treated to period food and drink (minus the hootch; State dime).

We were so honored to have three of Etheridge Knight's sisters in attendance. Many, many thanks to Joyce Brinkman, and the other board members of Brick Street Poetry for putting on such a memorable and enjoyable event. Sorry, no pictures yet, we are on the way to Frankfort and 3 Dead Poets Bashes in a row.

Dead Poets Remembrance Day: Putting America's Dead Poets Back on the Map

Dead Poets Remembrance Day: Putting America’s Dead Poets Back on the Map.

Wisconsin A Success: Heading for Indiana

The Wisconsin Dead Poets Bash was a great success and now Dedgar The Poemobile is getting his engines revved up for the visit to the historic Crown Hill cemetery.

Today: Iowa. Monday: Springfield. Wednesday: Crown Hill!

Key's Grave At the Dawn's Early Light!

Dedgar had the opportunity to see the historic Francis Scott Key memorial last week. To top it off, we visited the memorial At The Dawn's Early Light!

Grand Tour T-shirts Now Available

T-Shirts, Hats, Beach Bags & Buttons now available on the Dead Poets Grand Tour Store.