Clare Martin to present 'Crone' dramatic reading

Clare Martin

WHAT: Crone: a Dramatic Reading

WHEN: Friday, Jan. 25, 2019 at 6:30 p.m.
WHERE: Teche Center for the Arts, 210 E. Bridge Street, Breaux Bridge

ADMISSION: $5 to benefit Teche Center of the Arts

Teche Center for the Arts presents a dramatic reading of poet Clare L. Martin’s newly-published book, “Crone” at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Jan 25, in Breaux Bridge. The stage will be set to explore mystical womanhood and the supernatural and natural worlds. Crone visits the cycles of life in its narrative through the voice of the Crone and the voice of her maiden apprentice. Bessie Senette will embody the “Crone” and Clare L. Martin will appear as the “Maiden” who learns secrets of life, birth, the body, spirit, and death that only the Crone possesses. Copies of “Crone” will be available for purchase and a book-signing will follow the performance.

Bessie Senette

Light hors-d'oeuvres will be served. Beer, wine and sodas will be available for purchase at the no-host bar. Admission is $5, which supports TCA’s mission to educate and enliven through arts, educational programs and the preservation and promotion of Cajun and Creole culture. Tickets can be purchased at the door.

Praise for “Crone,” available from Nixes Mate Books:

“Clare Martin’s ‘Crone’ is a feast for eyes and ears, seductive in its use of both imagery and sound. Celebrating the sometimes terrifying, sometimes life-giving teachings of the wise woman, Crone evokes a woman’s coming-to-power, an epic “cronesong” of spells and potions in the form of poetry.”  —Sheryl St. Germain, author of The Small Door of Your Death.

“Clare Martin’s ‘Crone’ glows equal parts magic, music, and muscle. Her lines are laced with ambergris and jasmine, ghosts and wolfbreath. I would call Martin’s art a gorgeous dream, but that would ignore the blood, bone, and heart that drive this book at its core. Crone is the creation of a poet at the height of her powers, in full voice, and mesmerizing. Immerse yourselves in these lines, friends. You’ll rise from their waters cleansed and awed.”—Jack B. Bedell, author of No Brother, This Storm, Poet Laureate, State of Louisiana, 2017-2019

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“Clare L. Martin is a mysterious spellcaster. ‘Crone’ is a lush and dizzying monster of a poem. Coming through it made me see the world anew.”—Luis Alberto Urrea, author of House of Broken Angels

For more information, contact Sandra Sarr or Clare Martin at (337) 205-2279 or info@techecenterforthearts.com

Louisiana Book News is written by award-winning author Chere Dastugue Coen, who writes Louisiana romances and mysteries under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Her first book in each series is FREE to download as an ebook, including "Emilie," book one of The Cajun Series, "Ticket to Paradise," book one of The Cajun Embassy series and "A Ghost of a Chance," the first Viola Valentine mystery.

Winter Voices features Clare Martin, Diane Moore

            The winter installment of the Voices Season Reading Series will feature a special evening of literary readings by poets Clare L. Martin and Diane Moore at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb 19, at Carpe Diem! Gelato – Espresso Bar in downtown Lafayette. The event also celebrates the two-year anniversary of the reading series.

            Martin’s debut collection of poetry, “Eating the Heart First,” was published in 2012 by Press 53 as a Tom Lombardo Selection. Her poetry has appeared in Avatar Review, Blue Fifth Review, Melusine, Poets and Artists and Louisiana Literature, among others. She has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, Dzanc Books’ Best of the Web, for Best New Poets and Sundress Publication’s Best of the Net. Martin founded and directs the Voices Seasonal Reading Series, which features new and established Louisiana and regional writers and co-coordinates Acadiana Wordlab, a weekly literary drafting workshop. She serves as Poetry Editor of MadHat Annual and Editor of MadHat Lit, publishing ventures of MadHat, Inc.
            Moore is a writer of books, short stories, articles and poetry, appearing in the Southwestern Review, Interdisciplinary Humanities, American Weave, Xavier Review, Trace, The Pinyon Review and other literary journals. Her latest book of poetry is “In A Convent Garden” and her young adult book, “Martin’s Quest,” was awarded a grant that placed it on the supplementary reading list for Social Studies in Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes and was listed on the Louisiana Library Association’s reading list for accelerated students. This year, Martin published another young adult novel set in south Louisiana titled “Martin and the Last Tribe,” the third in a series about a young traiteur hero.

It was a fun day to be a writer

            Booksignings can be a dull affair, particularly if you are by yourself, the crowds are few or unreceptive and worse, they have no need for a book and thus you go home empty handed. Today, I had the pleasure of being a part of the Author’s Alley at the South Regional Branch Library in Lafayette (Louisiana) and sitting with three wonderful Acadiana authors — Camilla Hunt Cole signing “Mesquite,” Andy Hebert signing “Christmas on a Bayou” and Genie Summers signing “Our Family’s Book of Acts.” We had a nice turnout, friends and visitors alike were very generous (merci beaucoup!) and it was great chatting with one another about writing, social media, our next books and much more.

            Camilla Cole is busy working on a Southern gothic mystery due out next year, Genie Summers felt compelled to write her two books about missionary work but now she’s having fun penning a novel and Andy Hebert’s topics ranged from his Christmas coloring book to his grandfather’s fascinating diary of the Iota (Louisiana) area.

            After three hours at the library I headed over to the Fire & Water Cultural Arts Celebration in Arnaudville, where the new coffee shop Little Big Cup was hosting an afternoon of writers. Besides me, there was former Louisiana Poet Laureate Darrell Bourque, Poet Clare L. Martin (left), novelist John Francois, young adult novelist Margaret Simon (right) and photographer JohnSlaughter. I arrived in time to visit with Margaret and Clare (who organized the entire event – thank you Clare!) and again, it was such a treat enjoying the company of other writers (remember, we mostly work in solitude). I learned about Clare’s experiences writing her poetry book, “Eating the Heart First,” found out Margaret is a poet herself and listened to John reminisce about his life photographing the historic town of Grand Coteau.

            On the way home I stopped by Nunu’s arts center where musicians were performing, artists were demonstrating their work and selling beautiful items and Bayou Teche Brewery was serving up samples of their new Christmas beer. More creativity jive; the air crackled with it.

            This holiday season may I suggest giving something unique, creative and supportive of the local economy — art and books. We who serve in the trenches producing our stories and artwork because we must would surely appreciate it.

                       

Cheré Coen is the author of “Exploring Cajun Country: A Historic Guide to Acadiana” and co-author of “Magic’s in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris Bags and Sachets.” She teaches writing at UL-Lafayette’s Continuing Education. Write her at chere@louisianabooknews.com.