Teacher Jeff Pew has been a champion of poetry in Kimberley for many years, inspiring students to create their own verse and organizing poetry slams where local poets have a chance to perform.
This week, renowned Canadian poet Stuart Ross will be in Kimberley and Pew thinks that would be a great opportunity to have another event. Ross will be performing at the Bean Tree on this Thursday, May 7 at 7:30 p.m. and Pew has invited a few students, a few former students and others to perform as well.
“Stuart Ross is one of Canada’s most influential poets, in publishing, small press, editing and teaching poetry and prose,” Pew said. “It’s really great to have him here.”
While in the area, Ross will be conducting workshops at seven different schools as well.
In addition to the poetry readings, the Stuart Ross event will provide an opportunity to present an Occasional Andy Johnson Award to Kimberley resident Emma Jowsey.
Karin von Wittgenstein, the director of the Kimberley Public Library explains that Andy Johnson was a Kimberley teacher for more than 35 years.
“Andy Johnson recognized, encouraged, and cultivated the intellectual and artistic potentialities that he discovered in the students in his care,” von Wittgenstein said. “When he died, Andy put his money where his heart was by leaving more than $170,000 to the Kimberley Public Library, The Kimberley Foundation, and Selkirk Secondary School.
“The Occasional Andy Johnson Awards are sponsored by the Kimberley Public Library and ALLey Publications (of Brooklyn, NY) to honor Andy’s devotion to creativity.
“An Andy Johnson Award recognizes talent and potential rather than any specific accomplishment, and is intended to inspire its recipient to explore and develop their talent. It is “Occasional” because each talent is unique and there is no predicting when a new talent will emerge or be discovered.”
Proceeds from the evening will go to Nepal Earthquake Relief.