The Smell of Stories: Poetry as History with Kate Hymes

Name: The Smell of Stories: Poetry as History with Kate Hymes
Start: 2026-04-27T19:00:00-04:00
Location: Elting Memorial Library

Schedule

Mon, 27 Apr, 2026 at 07:00 pm

UTC-04:00

Location

Elting Memorial Library | New Paltz, NY

It all comes from this dark dirt, memory as casual as a laborer. --Kwame Dawes
Join us in the Steinberg Room on Monday, February 23rd, at 7:00 PM for our latest program in partnership with Elting Memorial Library.
Kate Hymes, poet, lay historian, and 2024 Ulster County Poet Laureate, has been laboring in the dark dirt of history: sifting through census records, church records, old newspapers, and family trees. Inspired by the collection of fragments, factual shards from the past, her poetry imaginatively fleshes out the lives of 18th- and 19th-century people of African descent in Ulster County. She will read and discuss her poems, as well as work by other poets who create art from the stories of African Americans.
Register if you would like to get an email reminder the day before the program and be made aware of any inclement weather updates. This event is free, registration is optional. Register by going to: https://eltinglibrary.libcal.com/event/16158871