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PERFORMANCES Poet and writer Kwame Dawes visits Ashland Comment By Angela Decker for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Angela Decker for the Mail Tribune Posted Oct. 17, 2015 at 9:00 AM By Angela Decker for the Mail Tribune Posted Oct. 17, 2015 at 9:00 AM » Social News Fans of poetry and prose are in for a warm and thought-provoking evening when Emmy Award-winning writer, professor and poet Kwame Dawes visits the Rogue Valley to read and share his work. The Chautauqua Poets and Writers bring distinguished authors from around the country to work with area high school and college students twice a year and will host Dawes for a week of student writing workshops and a public reading. Vince Wixon, CPW board member, says the group chose Dawes because he fit well with its goal to get students interested in writing. “I heard he was a terrific reader and presenter,” Wixon says. “We look for writers who read and teach well, engage well with an audience and are interested in young students.” "An Evening with Kwame Dawes" will be presented at 7:30 p.m., Monday, Oct. 19, in the Mountain Avenue Theatre at Ashland High School, 201 S. Mountain Ave. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 for reserved seats, and can be purchased online at chautauquawriters.org , at Bloomsbury Books or The Bookwagon. General admisssion and student tickets ($12) can be purchased at the door. Call 541-482-8771, ext. 197, for information. Ashland High School senior Allayana Darrow, who is the CPW’s student public relations liaison, says she thinks Dawes will particularly appeal to young people. “I’m incredibly impressed with his writing,” Darrow says. “He has a youthful, spiritual and happy tone to his work, and I think students will be more engaged than they have in the past.” Born in Ghana, Dawes grew up in Jamaica and developed roots in the Jamaican reggae culture. His book, “Bob Marley: Lyrical Genius,” is considered by many critics to be the best work on Marley’s lyrics. He is the author of 16 collections of poetry, including, “Wheels,” “Back of Mount Peace” and “Hope’s Hospice.” His most recent book of poetry is “Duppy Conqueror,” a collection of poems from previous works as well as new poems. “Quite a few of the new poems are in response to characters in August Wilson plays, mainly ‘The Piano Lesson,'” Wixon says. “It makes me feel grateful again to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival for presenting so many August Wilson plays.” Dawes has also published two novels, “She's Gone,” which won a 2008 Hurston/Wright Legacy Award for Best First Novel, and “Bivouac," written in 2009. In 2009, he won an Emmy for LiveHopeLove.com , an interactive site based on his Pulitzer Center project, “HOPE: Living and loving with AIDS in Jamaica.” In 2011, Dawes reported on HIV AIDS after the earthquake in Haiti; and his poems, blogs, articles, and documentary work were a key part of the post-earthquake Haiti reporting by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. Darrow says part of Dawes’ appeal is that he works in so many different genres. “He does so many things and works to help people,” Darrow says. “I think students will come away feeling inspired about writing, but also they’ll have a sense that literature and poetry can change you and help you grow.” Wixon adds that Dawes is generous with his time and will extend his visit by a couple of days. “He’s doing a lot of extra things for us. He’s meeting with an additional class at SOU and meeting students at Phoenix High School,” Wixon says. “He’s a great choice to appear here.” The timing of Dawes’ visit feels right to Darrow. “After the shooting at Umpqua Community College, I personally am looking forward to having someone come here and bring a little bit of love and joy and insight,” she says. “It has been really hard on the students here, and having someone bring some light will be great.” Angela Decker is a freelance writer living in Ashland. Reach her at [email protected]. By Angela Decker for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Angela Decker for the Mail Tribune Posted Oct. 17, 2015 at 9:00 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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