On Saturday, June 11th, the Bishop Hill Heritage Association is hosting Carl Sandburg: Poet of Community and Human Struggle, a program provided by the Illinois Humanities Road Scholars Speaker Bureau. Carl Sandburg, launched his poetic career with the publication of his powerful collection, Chicago Poems, in 1916. It was a tradition-shattering book, written in free verse and focused substantially on city life. It revealed the poet’s empathetic identification with the lives of ordinary people, who were often struggling.
Dr. John Hallwas, a literary scholar and teacher from Western Illinois University, has published editions of Chicago Poems and has spoken in more than 100 Illinois communities. Using a lively lecture-with-readings presentation, Dr. Hallwas will introduce the audience to the poetry of Carl Sandburg. This free public program will start at 2 p.m. in the Dairy Building, located at 410 North Erickson Street in Bishop Hill, Illinois.