WILLIAMS CENTER PROGRAM
Rutherford's Williams Center for the Performing Arts was officially named for William Carlos Williams in 1982. The 2005 program events held at the Williams Center included:
- Readings by winners of high school poetry contest for students from Bergen, Passaic, Morris, and Essex counties. Poems were judged by poets, professors, and readers from Horace Mann School, where Williams attended high school and wrote his first poem. The Symposium worked closely on this contest with the directors of Kelly Writers House at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, where Dr. Williams studied medicine and met many of his literary friends, including Ezra Pound, H.D. (Hilda) Dolittle, and Marianne Moore. Kelly Writers House conducts Penn’s creative writing programs and hosts a public forum for poetry and fiction. Winning students read their poems at Kelly Writers House on September 25th, a week after the Symposium.
- Poetry readings by Lee Ann Brown, Bob Perelman, Lytle Shaw, & Lewis Warsh.
- "WCW's Rutherford: Growing Up & Living in a Small Town," a slide program of Rutherford, 1883-1963, focusing on WCW's birthplace and his home. Conducted by Rutherford's Borough Historian Rod Leith, this program focused on the author's birthplace, his home at 9 Ridge Road, and other places that figured prominently in Williams’ life. Three lunchtime bus tours of Williams’ Rutherford followed the slide program and featured places highlighted in the presentation.
- “Poet Among Painters: Williams and His Artistic Parents & Brother,” a double-screen documentary on the poet by Emily Mitchell Wallace who has created presentations for the Whitney and other major museums.
- "WCW: Angles of Vision," a panel discussion on WCW's influence on 20th century American poetry moderated by award-winning author Neil Baldwin, with Kerry Driscoll, St. Jose
ph College; Michael Golston , Columbia University; Christopher MacGowan, The College of William and Mary; Bob Perelman, University of Pennsylvania; Lytle Shaw, New York University; and Emily Mitchell Wallace, Bryn Mawr College. - An evening performance of Williams’ play, A Dream of Love, the first production of any in his full-length plays in his hometown. Judith Malina, co-founder of The Living Theatre, which ran Williams’s play Many Loves for a year in repertoire in 1959, introduced the performance and talked about her experiences with Williams.
RUTHERFORD LIBRARY PROGRAM
The Borough of Rutherford was designated a “Literary Landmark” in conjunction with the William Carlos Williams Poetry Symposium. The Literary Landmark plaque is proudly displayed on the Rutherford Public Library. The 2005 program events held at the Library included:
- A display of Dr. Williams’ famous writing desk and other personal effects.
- Exhibition of library’s extensive collection of Williams’ materials: photos, papers, and artifacts.
- Viewings of WCW documentary "Voices & Visions."
- Professor John Dollar lecture on “WCW’s Poly-Talents.”
- Open poetry readings.
- Young adult poetry readings by teens participating in the Library’s April poetry workshops run by poet Laura Boss.
- Photo essays based on poems by WCW created by Rutherford High School students.
- Dramatic readings of Williams’ works: poetry, as well as excerpts from stories, essays, and plays.
- Sale tables offered books, post cards, original prints, WCW Commemoratives depicting Williams and his home at 9 Ridge Road, and more. New Directions, Williams publisher, sale table offering their catalogue of Williams’s writings.
- Comfort Cafe with cold drinks and other light refreshments.
Photo: Peg Koetsch, Learning Insights
