The SCA invites the public to an outdoor reading by Poets Alison Swan and Jack Ridl. We’ll dive into Alison’s latest poetry collection, A Fine Canopy (Wayne State University Press, 2020) and favorites from Jack Ridl, a Saugatuck Lakeshore resident. All facilitated by SCA Staff.

Following the readings, Jack and Alison will engage in an exciting conversation about their works and journeys before opening the floor to audience members who will have the opportunity to ask questions and have copies of their books to sign. Please note this event is free and open to the public, however there is limited capacity and a $5 donation is suggested. RSVP to reserve your spot. A Fine Canopy is now available for purchase here and the day of the event.

After the reading and conversation, patrons are invited for an afternoon of nature-writing with Alison in the SCA Rain Garden. Drawing from examples in A Fine Canopy, the Poet will lead the group in a writing workshop where attendees are invited to engage their observation and sensory skills to communicate their personal connections to our West Michigan landscape and environment. This workshop is open to all backgrounds, ages 15 and up, with no experience required. Please note this workshop is a ticketed event and includes a copy of A Fine Canopy.

A Fine Canopy, illustrates how the natural world envelops and encloses us with so many beautiful things: crowns of leaves, the ubiquitous blue sky, our luminous moon, and snow. So much snow. An ecopoet whose writing shows her advocacy for natural resources, in this collection Swan calls the reader to witness, appreciate, and sustain this world before it becomes too late. Her poems, many of which were inspired by the West Michigan lakeshore, were written out of an impulse to track down wisdom in the open air, outside of the noisy world of cars and commerce.

Without necessarily tackling the topics head-on, A Fine Canopy evokes the devastation of climate change and the destruction of natural resources. This book engages deeply with the other-than-human to express and investigate alarm, dismay, anger, admiration, adoration in what feels like the end of the world unless we begin to think outside the box. These poems will carry weight with all readers of poetry, especially those who are interested in eco-poetry and connecting with the world around them.