Scudder H. Parker and Kerrin McCadden

An evening of poetry with Scudder H. Parker, reading from his new collection The Poem of the World, and Kerrin McCadden, reading from her book American Wake! The Poem of the World is Scudder’s second collection of poetry and prose is primarily autobiographical, exploring the author’s early years, time as a preacher, major life changes, evolving relationships, and a deepening understanding of his relationship to community and the world around him. It is about loss and grief, the presence of wonder, and a celebration of the richness of life. American Wake, a collection by a writer of extraordinary gifts will appeal to readers who believe in the potential of carefully hewn words to unveil our world and our deepest feelings to ourselves. As the acclaimed memoirist Nick Flynn (Another Bullshit Night in Suck City) puts it: “Kerrin McCadden transforms tragedy into myth.” Scudder H. Parker’s first volume of poetry, Safe as Lightning, was awarded the Best Poetry Book of 2020 by the Independent Publishers of New England (IPNE). Scudder’s poetry has appeared in numerous literary journals including Sun Magazine, Crosswinds, The Lascaux Review, Sky Island Journal, Vermont Life, Northern Woodlands, and Twyckenham. His poem “The Poem of the World” was selected as a finalist in the Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest. Kerrin McCadden is the author of American Wake, a finalist for the New England Book Award. Her debut collection, Landscape with Plywood Silhouettes, won the Vermont Book Award and the New Issues Poetry Prize. Her chapbook, Keep This to Yourself, won the Button Poetry Prize. McCadden has received a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship and the Sustainable Arts Foundation Writing Award, as well as the Herb Lockwood Prize for excellence in the arts in Vermont. She holds an MFA from The Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College and lives in South Burlington, Vermont.