Celebrating Literary Excellence: Ross Gay to Headline Sierra Poetry Festival
Nevada County Library is proud to announce that award-winning poet Ross Gay will be delivering a poetry reading and author talk on April 13th, 2024, at 5:30pm at the Center for the Arts in Grass Valley, CA. This special event is part of the Sierra Poetry Festival, and this segment of the festival is open to the public, free of charge. Ross Gay’s appearance is one of the highlights of Sierra Poetry Festival, offering community members the opportunity to engage and explore the 2024 Nevada County Reads selection, Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude.
Gay is widely celebrated for his distinctive poetic voice, which explores themes of nature, community, and the human experience with depth and sensitivity. Gay’s notable works include “Against Which,” “Bringing the Shovel Down,” and the critically acclaimed “Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude,” which earned him the National Book Critics Circle Award for Poetry and the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award. His passion for exploring and understanding joy is evident in his writing, as seen in his collections of essays, such as “The Book of Delights” and “Inciting Joy”. Beyond his literary achievements, Gay is a founding board member of the Bloomington Community Orchard, reflecting his interest in community and sustainability.
In addition to his poetry reading and author talk, Ross Gay will also participate in a private meet and greet with student finalists of the accompanying Nevada County Reads 2024 essay contest. This student-focused segment of the event is made possible through the generous support of the Nevada County Friends of the Library.
Nevada County Reads 2024: Embracing the Power of Poetry and Community Connection
This event serves as the culminating celebration of Nevada County Reads 2024, an initiative generously supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts Big Read campaign. Through Nevada County Reads, community members have had the opportunity to engage with literature and participate in a variety of programs and events which have been themed around Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude.
“I think Nevada County community members are just going to love Ross. There’s shared interests & themes in how people live here and what Ross writes about. I think this just such a great opportunity to bring us all together,” says Patricia Caspers, local poet & Youth Librarian.
Nevada County Library is proud to co-sponsor this event with the Nevada County Arts Council and the Nevada County Superintendent of Schools, reflecting our shared commitment to fostering a vibrant arts and literary community in Nevada County. Join us on April 13th, 5:30pm, at the Center for the Arts in Grass Valley for an unforgettable evening with Ross Gay. Seating is limited, so be sure to arrive early to secure your spot!
More Information
For more information about Nevada County Reads 2024 and other related events, please visit nevadacountyreads.com or call (530) 265-7050. Don’t forget to follow Nevada County Library on Facebook and Instagram for the latest program updates!