Join us as we celebrate Theodore Roethke’s birthday on May 25!
To honor the spirit of poetry on our poet’s birthday, we’ll be featuring the work of four Friends of Theodore Roethke members who have published books in 2023 or 2024—with an emphasis on early career poets living in Saginaw.
A reception will immediately follow, where the poets works will be available for purchase.
This event is free and open to the public. Registration is encouraged, but not required.
About the poets
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This collection written in various locations in Michigan and around the world—from the western hemisphere to eastern. It’s inspired by past poets and nature in all its glory and its fury.
About the Author:
Paul Bach is a poet and scholar who travels internationally to study historical poetics. The author of the poetry collection All Rivers Are One, he is a Michigander who lives and writes near the water and the trees. -
This book is a tribute to Michigan poet Ella Stevens Lull, who was a member of the Detroit Women Writers Club from 1932 through 1969. Her poems were published in many newspapers and her poetry was influenced by her observations of nature intertwined with her steadfast faith in God.
About the Author:
Ella Stevens Lull, the author of these poems, was Norma’s grandmother. Norma is the creator and publisher of this book.
Norma was born and raised in the Detroit area and in 1969 relocated to Saginaw, Michigan. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Saginaw Valley State University and a master’s degree from Central Michigan University.
Norma was employed for 30 years as a director in the Development Office of Saginaw Valley State University.
In 2010 she relocated to Portage, Michigan. Her post-retirement pursuits include oil painting, genealogy research, and writing essays about her ancestors and their lives.
Recently one of her paintings was accepted for the 14-county West Michigan Area Show at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts. This painting is on the cover of her book. For her writing she has received two second-place awards from the Western Michigan Genealogical Society in their annual writing contest.
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Lesinski will read from her 2023 debut poetry collection Tethers End (Shanti Arts), which has been praised for its humor and poignancy, as well as newer work, including a piece written during the recent Roethke Poetry Retreat.
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This collection of poems about nature and family was written throughout Marion’s lifetime. Les Tincknell’s painting appears on the cover.
About the Author:
Marion and her husband architect Leslie Tincknell have been loyal supporters financial and otherwise since Friends of Theodore Roethke’s conception. Marion is a member of River Junction Poets and theSaginaw Humanities Series and so much more.
She arrived in Saginaw in 1958 with her husband architect, Leslie Tincknell. They raised their four children here and became a power couple together adding to the quality of Saginaw life through their extensive community contributions.
When their children were all of school age, Marion became a poet in the schools with the Bay Arts
Council offering poetry workshops to third and fifth graders throughout the Bay Region; she taught similar poetry workshops in local prisons, was a member of River Junction Poets, a member of the
Saginaw Humanities Series, and was a regular tutor at Roethke House summer camps. When the weather became beastly hot for afternoon sessions, and most tutors cancelled on such days, not Marion, who always arrived to help the children.
Marion graduated from Cedarcrest College in Allentown, PA, with a BA in fine arts in French and English, just the right background preparation for her generous gifts.
To register for this event:
Select your optional donation amount and quantity.
Click “Add to cart”.
Click on your cart in the bottom right corner.
Complete the checkout process.
Once you’ve completed check out, you will receive two emails: an a confirmation email and an email containing the Zoom link for your event. If you do not receive these emails, please contact us at info@friendsofroethke.org.