Gilbert-Chappell Poetry Reading

Location: R.A. Fountain

This special event–sponsored by the North Carolina Poetry Society–is a celebration of National Poetry Month and Melinda Thomsen’s being named the 2023 Gilbert-Chappell Distinguished Poet. She’ll be joined by four emerging poets: Marty Pitcairn, from New Bern; Ellie Lorenz, a middle school student from Wilmington;  and  high school students Jess Wallace, from Hallsboro, and Justin Wellons, fom Hallsboro.

Melinda Thomsen lives in Greenville with her husband, two cats, and a chicken. Her poetry collection Armature, recently published by Hermit Feathers Press, has already been named Honorable Mention in the Lena Shull Poetry Contest from the North Carolina Poetry Society. It also received  Eric Hoffer’s da Vinci Eye Award for cover art and content.  Finishing Line Press published her two chapbooks, “Naming Rights” (2008) and “Field Rations” (2011).  Her poetry and book reviews have appeared in journals such as Poetry East, Big City Lit, New York Quarterly, Tar River Poetry, Rattle, and the North Carolina Literary Review.  She’s also received a 2019 Pushcart Nomination from the Comstock Review, 1st place in the 2019 Robert Golden Poetry Contest, and and was a semi-finalist in the 2004 “Discovery” / The Nation Poetry Contest.  She has an MA from the City College, NY, and an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. 

The Smith-Yelverton Typewriter Museum will also be open, next door to RAF, with a large selection of reasonably priced books of contemporary poetry.

Tags: literary, poetry reading