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Janet Read Her Poetry and Autographed Her Books at the Kalamazoo Public Library on December 5, 2014

I had a great time reading my poetry and signing my books at the Kalamazoo Public Library on December 5, 2014.  I was part of a book fair and poetry reading organized by Friends of Poetry during Art Hop events in Kalamazoo, Michigan.  Art Hop is the first Friday of every month, and many organizations sponsor art shows, literary readings, musical performances, etc.

The photos below were taken by my friend Hedy Habra, who also read her poetry last night, and a policeman guarding the library.  Other writers participating in this event were Marion Boyer, Jennifer Clark, Andrea England, Arnie Johnston, Elizabeth Kerlikowske, Brandon Krieg, Gail Martin, Kathleen McGookey, Deborah Percy, Judith Rypma, and Leeanne Sarver.

The audience, which included adults and children, supported the poets enthusiastically during the reading.  Many families were doing holiday shopping at the book fair.  My best-selling book last night was my award-winning book for children about bullying, How the Moon Regained Her Shape (Arbordale, 2006).

Janet with Her Books at the Kalamazoo Public Library on December 5, 2014Janet Reading Her Poems at the Kalamazoo Public Library on December 5, 2014

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Janet Ruth Heller

I am the past president of the Michigan College English Association. I have a Ph.D. in English Language and Literature from the University of Chicago. I have published four poetry books: Nature's Olympics (Wipf and Stock, 2021), Exodus (WordTech Communications, 2014), Folk Concert: Changing Times (Anaphora Literary Press, 2012) and Traffic Stop (Finishing Line Press, 2011). My scholarly book, Coleridge, Lamb, Hazlitt, and the Reader of Drama, was published in 1990 by the University of Missouri Press. My fiction picture book about bullying for children, How the Moon Regained Her Shape (Arbordale, 2006; 7th edn. 2022), has won four national awards. My play The Cell Phone won fourth place in a national contest and was performed twice at the Fenton Village Players One-Act Play Festival on June 24-25, 2011 in Fenton, Michigan. Triton College produced another play, Pledging, as part of its Tritonysia Play Festival in May 2017. Choeofpleirn Press published Pledging in Rushing Through the Dark (2022).