Charles Coe, poet and teacher, will discuss wordsmiths throughout American history who have often challenged the political and social norms of their times.
An African American citizen who as a child experienced segregation and racial injustice in his hometown of Indianapolis, Coe has long had a personal interest in the subject of racial justice.
In five books of poetry and a novella, he’s tried to encourage readers to ask themselves what it means to be a “citizen of the world.” As a teacher in two Master of Fine Arts writing programs and a frequent visiting artist in schools, Coe challenges students to assess the world based on what they see with their own eyes and hear with their own ears, and not to let their views be shaped by “received wisdom.” For him, there’s a simple question we all must ask ourselves: “Is my neighbor’s fate any of my concern?”
Moderator: Steve Schuch
