Unity, Maine – February, 2012 –  As part of its National Poetry Month events, Unity College will host a celebration to honor the work of Maine poet and writer Lewis Turco at 2 p.m. on April 7 at the Unity College Center for the Performing Arts (UCCPA).

Presidential spouse Michele Leavitt is enthusiastic about the event. “Lewis Turco is a rock star of the poetry world,” she says, “His creative and scholarly works have been critical contributions to the growth of American poetry..”

The UCCPA is located at 42 Depot Street (off Route 202) in Unity, Maine.

A focus of the celebration is the publication of Turco’s revised and expanded edition of The Book of Forms, an indispensable resource for poets since the first edition was published in 1986. The event will also mark the publication of Turco’s (alias “Wesli Court”)  Epitaphs for the Poets. A poet who draws from his experiences as a resident of Maine, Turco has authored nearly fifty books. He founded the Cleveland State University Poetry Center and the Department of Creative Writing at S.U.N.Y. Oswego.  He lives in retirement in Dresden Mills, Maine.

Light refreshments will be served followed by an open reading of poems in form. For more information: mleavitt@unity.edu.  The event is free and open to the general public.

In 2011, Unity College was named to the top 30 of the Washington Monthly college rankings, and was one of eighteen U.S. colleges and universities named to The Princeton Review’s 2010 Green Rating Honor Roll.

Unity College is a small private college in rural Maine that provides dedicated, engaged students with a liberal arts education which emphasizes the environment and natural resources. Unity College graduates are prepared to be environmental stewards, effective leaders, and responsible citizens through active learning experiences within a supportive community.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012