Poetry and activism

April is National Poetry Month, and the Vachel Lindsay Association and Home State Historic Site sponsor the first local event of the month with well-known local husband and wife team, John and Peg Knoepfle. Once donned the Sangamon County Poet Laureate, John is perhaps the most successful living poet in the area. He is professor emeritus of English at UIS, author of 19 poetry books, including his latest, Prayer Against Famine and other Irish Poems and Walking in Snow, and has numerous awards and accolades to his name. His wife, Peg, is most famous for her tireless activism. She has worked with many Springfield peace, justice and labor solidarity organizations, is a member of the Mary Wood branch of Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, and visited sweat shop workers in Nicaragua and human rights workers in the war zones of Colombia. The couple will speak about their many years of marriage, poetry and activism. Limited seating is available.

Poets in the Parlor: John and Peg Knoepfle
Saturday, April 2, 2pm
Vachel Lindsay Home State Historic Site
603 S. Fifth Street
524-0901
Free

This article appears in Mar 31 – Apr 6, 2011.