I hope you'll join us for the prelude event to this year's Brattleboro Literary Festival, which co-produces this Words Project program celebrating the life and poetry of William Mundell (1912-97) of South Newfane. Mundell was a fine poet, with a multi-faceted career: He painted, took photographs — which appeared in Life Magazine — built one of the first ski tows in Vermont, was a carpenter and stone mason, and served on Newfane's selectboard. For many years, he was a State Highway Foreman, and two of his strongest poems are about town road work!

Mundell's poetry appeared in The New Yorker and many other magazines, and in 1989 he was named Vermont Poet laureate by the Poetry Society of Vermont; the previous recipient had been Robert Frost.

This Wednesday, October 12, I will be hosting a Words Project at Brooks Memorial Library in Brattleboro, focusing on William Mundell. A 6 pm panel discussion will include the poet's nephews, Merrill Mundell, Jr. and Mick Mundell, and great-nephew Eric Mundell, along with Guilford's Andy Burrows, who assisted in the publication of Mundell's first book of poetry in 1970, Hill Journey. About 7 pm I will read two dozen of Mundell's finest poems, with a bit of commentary. We'll also have a small exhibit of his photographs and other items. A few of his books, though out of print, will be on sale, benefitting the Words Project and Literary Festival, to which this program serves as a prelude event. Please join us!

Event Info

Nov 15, 2024, 12 to 1 PM

Nov 15, 2024, 7 to 8:30 PM

Nov 17, 2024, 4 to 5:30 PM