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‘An Evening of Poetry’: West Virginia poets of note visit Shepherdstown for reading, book signing

By Tabitha Johnston - Chronicle Staff | May 26, 2023

West Virginia Arts Commission Fellow Anna Egan Smucker, center, and West Virginia Poet Laureate Marc Harshman, right, chat with one of the poetry reading attendees, in Four Seasons Books on May 15. Tabitha Johnston

SHEPHERDSTOWN — For the last couple of years, Four Seasons Books owner Kendra Adkins had been forced to postpone an event idea, due to COVID-19 Pandemic concerns. But on May 15, she was finally above to bring that event to life, during “An Evening of Poetry With Marc Harshamn, Steve Scafidi and Anna Egan Smucker.”

“All three poets are ones that I highly esteem. They’re amazing, and I thank them all for trekking out all of this way to read to us,” Adkins said. “This has been in the books since the pandemic. This is our do-over.”

A full room of poetry enthusiasts attended the event, which began with a reading by West Virginia Arts Commission Fellow Anna Egan Smucker, of several of her poems.

“I’m probably most known as an author of children’s books. My first book, ‘No Star Nights,’ was about growing up in the steel mill town of Weirton,” Smucker said of her memoir, which won the International Reading Association Children’s Book Award. “When we would look up at the sky at night, we couldn’t see the stars, because of the red light of the mill and the smoke. That gave me the title of the book.”

While her books have been geared toward children, her poetry was written for a wider audience.

Levis Reading Award winner Steve Scafidi reads one of his poems in Four Seasons Books on May 15. Tabitha Johnston

“Tonight I’m here reading a lot of poems from my very first chapbook, ‘Rowing Home,'” Smucker said. “It’s an honor to be reading with these esteemed poets here! I thought I would go first tonight, because I know I don’t want to follow them!”

Marc Harshman followed Smucker to the stage, as he proceeded to read poems from throughout his career.

“Like Anna, I write children’s books. We [even] wrote a book together, ‘Fallingwater: The Building of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Masterpiece.’ It was a treat to do!” Harshman said, noting that although he is an Indiana native, he has spent his adult life in West Virginia, the past 11 of which he has spent as West Virginia’s Poet Laureate.

“There’s been a poet laureate in West Virginia since the late 1920s. Most of the poet laureates are not household names, but my two predecessors — Louise McNeill and Irene McKinney — were absolutely marvelous poets,” Harshman said. “I work under their shadow!”

Levis Reading Award winner Steve Scafidi concluded the evening. Unlike Smucker and Harshman, Scafidi said he considers the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia to be home.

West Virginia Poet Laureate Marc Harshman performs one of his poems for a crowd in Four Seasons Books on May 15. Tabitha Johnston

“I grew up in Loudon County. I’ve lived in Summit Point for about 25 years — this is our home!” Scafidi said, noting he has visited Four Seasons Books often, over the years. “I don’t read that often. It’s an honor to be among people listening to you and an honor to be here with these poets — it’s been such fun tonight!”

Following the poetry reading, a book signing was held with the poets. Poetry and prose books by Harshman, Smucker and Scafidi are available for purchase in Four Seasons Books.

West Virginia Arts Commission Fellow Anna Egan Smucker reads one of her poems in Four Seasons Books on May 15. Tabitha Johnston