Vievee Francis’ poem, “Beast and Beauty,” appears on the featured broadside designed and illustrated by Lauren Faulkenberry.
The Vandercooked Poetry Series is part poetry reading, part DIY letterpress project. It may be an unusual combination, but it’s also a fitting one — especially when the event takes place at BookWorks in West Asheville. The gallery and studio space is home to one of the fewer than 2,000 remaining Vandercook printing presses in the world. All attendees will have the chance to crank the wheel of the Vandercook and create their own broadside of Vievee Francis’ poem “Beast and Beauty.”
The printing, which is supervised by master printers, is followed by a reading from award-winning poet Vievee Francis. The WNC writer is the author of two books of poetry, Blue-Tail Fly (Wayne State University, 2006) and Horse in the Dark (Northwestern University, 2012).
The third installment of the Vandercooked Poetry Series takes place Saturday, Feb. 1. Printing begins at 7 p.m., and the reading begins at 7:30 p.m. The “Vandercooked” broadside is available for $5 at the event and $20 after the event. Visit ashevillebookworks.com for more information.
