PORT TOWNSEND — A poet who’s also a dance caller and a fiddler and so-called “rock star” will appear tonight in a free poetry reading at the Northwind Arts Center, 2409 Jefferson St.
Dudley Laufman, the 80-year-old dance caller, is visiting from New Hampshire, where he received the Governor’s Award in the Arts for Folk Heritage and is the subject of the documentary film “The Other Way Back.”
Laufman will offer poems from a body of work that includes four books: An Orchard and a Garden, The Stoneman, Walking Sticks and Mouth Music.
Then, there’s Jack McCarthy, who describes himself as a “standup poetry guy.”
The Boston Globe, meanwhile, has said that “in the poetry world, he’s a rock star.”
This may be due to the fact that he’s won poetry slams from San Antonio to Portland, Maine, and has been featured in events as far away as Germany and Spain. Around the United States, high school students nationally perform his work in poetry competitions.
McCarthy’s books include Say Goodnight, Grace Notes: New and Corrected Poems.
Tonight’s reading at Northwind starts at 7 p.m., and while there’s no charge, donations are accepted to keep the arts center healthy.
For more details about the monthly readings, phone Bill Mawhinney at 360-437-9081.
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Features Editor Diane Urbani de la Paz can be reached at 360-417-3550 or at diane.urbani@peninsuladailynews.com.
