'Bringing Poetry to Life' with Dave Caserio on September 7

Carter County Museum and Medicine Rocks State Park will host Montana Conversations program "Writing the Parks" with Dave Caserio on September 7 in Ekalaka. The program will take place at the museum from 5 to 7 p.m. Individuals can reserve space in the workshop by calling the museum at 406-775-6886. The presentation is free and open to the public. Funding for Montana Conversations is provided by Humanities Montana through grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Montana's Cultural Trust, and private donations.

"Writing the Parks" is an outdoor workshop for writers and non-writers based on close observation of the natural world and exploration of the historical, cultural, and geological background of the area. The goal is to push past boundaries and create work in any genre, including poetry, fiction and personal reflection. Beginning with a brief discussion of the writing process and the purpose of the workshop, a local guide will give a short tour and orientation of Medicine Rocks State Park. There will be a public hike that workshop participants can attend at Medicine Rocks State at 10 a.m. Attendees should meet at the group area of the park. Afterwards, writers can wander and explore to find inspiration for their writing.  At the end, participants will gather together and share their work in an informal workshop setting at the museum from 5 to 7 p.m..

The workshop will be followed by a public presentation of "Wordsongs: Bringing Poetry to Life" by Dave Caserio at 7 p.m. This program is a dramatic, high-energy, interactive, and intimate performance of poetry and music designed to invigorate and re-kindle the passion and interest for poetry. Caserio will draw from contemporary and past poets and poetry of diverse cultures and subject matter, period and themes, and fuses them with the music of jazz, blues, classical and folk traditions. The presentation will features selections chosen by the park and museum, followed by audience question and answer and discussion.

Caserio is a Billings, Montana poet, performance artist, and former instructor in literature and writing. He is the author of "This Vanishing" from CW Books and "Wisdom For A Dance In The Street," a CD of poetry and music from Gazoobi Tales.

A recipient of a Fellowship in Poetry award from the New York State Foundation of the Arts, Dave works with various community outreach programs, such as Humanities Montana Conversations and Arts Without Boundaries. He has conducted writing workshops for cancer survivors at the Billings Clinic Cancer Center.

His recent publications include the Coachella Review, and the anthologies, "Unearthing Paradise: Montana Writers in Defense of Greater Yellowstone" and "Poems Across the Big Sky, Volume II."

For more information on Dave Caserio visit: davecaserio.com. More information about the event can be obtained by calling Carter County Museum at 406-775-6886.