RANGELEY – Rangeley continues to inspire poets, writers, and readers. On Sunday evening, Aug. 8, lovers of poetry plan to gather in Rangeley to honor poet Hugh Ogden, formerly of Poets’ Island, Rangeley (1937-2006). Linda Aldrich of Rangeley and Portland will be the featured poet at the 14th annual Hugh Ogden Memorial Evening of Poetry. Sponsored by the nature store Ecopelagicon, the event is free to all. Light refreshments will be served.
Members of the Ogden family will begin the Evening by reading poems written by their father. Then, community members are invited to read a poem of Hugh’s or one of their own that attends to what meant so much to Hugh: the beauty and mystery of the world, especially Rangeley, and peace among all living things. A sign-up sheet will be available just before the start of the evening, since time will be limited.
Linda Aldrich, who recently served as Poet Laureate of Portland, will read from her new book, Ballast (Deerbrook Editions). Her poems have appeared in two previous books—March and Mad Women (2012) and Foothold (2008)—as well as in numerous journals and anthologies, among them Crazy Woman Creek, Indiana Review, Elixir, The Denver Quarterly, Ellipsis, The Florida Review, Poet Lore, Third Coast, Puerto del Sol, Snake Nation Review, The Best of Write Action, Solstice Literary Magazine, and most recently, Balancing Act II: An Anthology of 50 Maine Women, published by Littoral Books. Linda was awarded a Hewnoaks writing residency in 2017, and her poem “Woman-without-Arms” won the Emily Dickinson Award from Universities West Press. She also co-hosts, with Marcia Brown, the monthly reading series “Local Writers” in Cape Elizabeth, now coming into its 11th year.
Linda is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire (English and French), Florida State University (MA Theatre Arts), and Vermont College of Fine Arts (MFA/ Poetry). She was director of the Young Conservatory and a member of the repertory at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco for ten years and later was Associate Professor of English and Humanities at Aims Community College in Greeley, Colorado. More recently, she has taught English and writing classes at Keene State College and Southern Maine Community College. Currently, Linda lives in Portland and Rangeley with her husband, David Miller, Director of the Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust. To read some of Linda’s poems, see her website at http://lindaaldrichpoetry.com. To purchase copies of her new book and to order others, please visit Books, Lines & Thinkers, 2513 Main Street, Rangeley (864-4355), now celebrating their 25th Anniversary.
Love of Maine’s natural world as well as her concern for peace and social justice link Linda Aldrich and Hugh Ogden; please join us to celebrate their poetry. To care for the health of us all, please come vaccinated or masked. We will space the chairs further apart and open several windows and doors.
For more information, contact Peggy at 864-3421 (myocomATgmu.edu) and visit http://ecopelagicon.com and http://hughogden.com and http://margaretyocom.com/poetry
