516 WORDS: Reexamining the West with Paisley Rekdal

Delve into the history of the West through the lens of Chinese and other railroad workers’ histories, and through the railroad’s impact on America with a dynamic, inter-media live reading from poet and scholar, Paisley Rekdal. Rekdal is the Director of the University of Utah’s American West Center, and was commissioned as Utah’s Poet Laureate to write a poem commemorating the 150th anniversary of the transcontinental completion. The result was West: A Translation, a hybrid collection of poems, lyric essays, and accompanying website. Rekdal will read selections from West and present corresponding videos with interactive guidance from the audience.

Following this presentation will be a Q&A and moderated discussion with 516 ARTS curator Olivia Amaya Ortiz.

Host or Publisher 516 ARTS