MEET MARILYN KALLET

Marilyn Kallet is the author of 18 books, including How Our Bodies Learned, The Love That Moves Me and Packing Light: New and Selected Poems, poetry from Black Widow Press. She has translated Paul Eluard’s Last Love Poems, Péret’s The Big Game, and co-translated Chantal Bizzini’s Disenchanted City. Her other volumes include children’s books, essays, anthologies of women’s literature.

Dr. Kallet is Nancy Moore Goslee Professor of English––soon to be Professor Emerita––at the University of Tennessee, where she has taught for 37 years. For a decade, she has also lead poetry workshops for VCCA-France, in Auvillar.

She has performed her poems on campuses and in theaters across the United States as well as in France and Poland, as a guest of the U.S. Embassy’s “America Presents” program.

Dr. Kallet is available for poetry readings and workshops for adults and for children.

The University of Tennessee lists her as a specialist in poetry’s role in times of crisis, poetry and healing, poetry and humor, and poetry and Jewish identity.

SCHEDULE AS POET LAUREATE

	Kallet read her poem entitled Knoxville Love Song at the Festival on the Fourth in World's Fair Park, July 4, 2018.
	WBIR Video of Marilyn Kallet
	Kallet with K9 Officer Bruno and Officer Jeffrey Quirin
	Kallet and participants from the "Writing Praise Poems in Troubled Times" poetry workshop in San Bernardino. Kallet is available to lead this workshop for any civic or community groups.
	Kallet at the Founders Day Luncheon
	Kallet with San Bernardino Police Department Spokesdog Sherlock
	Kallet at the Arnstein Jewish Community Center vigil
	Kallet with performance poet and UT Alum Taria Person at The Secret City Poetry Night at Oak Ridge Civic Center
	Kallet wrote a special poem for the ribbon-cutting of the Violins of Hope exhibit.
	Kallet and U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith
	Kallet was honored as one of the "Women Artists of Influence" by the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. Photo by Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. Click here to read more about the event.
	Kallet with Linda Parsons at the Poets in the Garden event - a fundraiser for Botanical Gardens
	Kallet teaching a poetry writing and performance workshop at Career Magnet Academy
	Kallet with (L to R) husband Lou Gross, Owen Sapulpa and U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo
	Teaching "From Page to Stage," with the Knoxville Children's Theater teens
	Kallet reading a poem at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Commemorative Commission Interfaith Prayer Service
	Kallet read Jack the Healing Cat to the Knoxville Jewish Day School children via Zoom
	Virtual poetry reading for Poetry Night at Read It Again Bookstore with Maria James-Thiaw in Suwanee, Georgia

July 4, 2018
Kallet read her poem entitled Knoxville Love Song at the Festival on the Fourth at the World's Fair Park in Knoxville

July 18, 2018
Kallet worked with Officer Jeffrey Quirin and K-9 Officer Bruno of the University of Tennessee Police Department inspiring numerous Poems about K-9 Officer Bruno
 
July 31, 2018
Poetry reading of Saying Goodbye and other poems at the Flenniken Landing Residents' Inaugural Art Show

September 13, 2018
Kallet read her poem This Green for the East Tennessee PBS "The Great American Read" series

October 3, 2018
Kallet read her poem Ode to Knoxville and its Founders at the Founders Day Luncheon at the East Tennessee History Center

October 9, 2018
Poetry reading of That Chicken, Complaint, and Love Poem for the Ageless at the John T. O'Connor Senior Center

October 9, 2018
Poetry reading for the Knoxville Museum of Art Guild

October 11, 2018
Poetry reading and book signing for the Southern Festival of Books at the Nashville Public Library

October 12, 2018
Poetry reading with local Knoxville authors, Autumn Authors' showcase, Barnes & Noble

October 23, 2018
"Writing Praise Poems in Troubled Times," writing workshop, Rowe Branch of the San Bernardino Public Library

October 24, 2018
Interviewed Sherlock, the San Bernardino Police Department Spokesdog with Sherlock's "mom" Lt. Vicki Cervantes.

October 29, 2018
Kallet read her poem The Tree of Life at the Arnstein Jewish Community Center during the vigil held to honor those who passed during the mass shooting at Pittsburgh's Tree of Life Synagogue on October 27, 2018.

November 2, 2018
Poetry reading with Joseph Woods and Erin E. Smith at the Secret City Poetry Night at the Oak Ridge Civic Center

November 14-15
Creative writing workshops at West High School

November 27, 2018
Poem about Mister Clooney, a medical alert dog with the UT College of Veterinary Medicine's H.A.B.I.T. Program

December 6, 2018
Read poem entitled How to Reply to a Major General at UT's Faculty Award Ceremony.

December 8, 2018
Poetry Reading and Chanukah Stories at 5 p.m. at The Bird & The Book at Southland Books, 1505 E. Broadway Avenue, Maryville, TN 

January 4, 2019
Read poem entitled Violins of Hope, Knoxville at the ribbon cutting of the "Violins of Hope" exhibit at the UT Downtown Gallery at 106 Gay St.

January 12, 2019
Read poems entitled Sometimes and Last Words at the memorial for Dr. Arthur Smith. Smith was a mentor to thousands of UT students and an award-winning poet who taught at UT for more than three decades.

January 19, 2019
Poetry reading at the YWCA Diversity Day & Race Against Racism

January 22, 2019
Read poem entitled Violins of Hope, Knoxville at the Knoxville Symphony performances at the Tennessee Theatre.

January 23 & 24, 2019
Read poem entitled Violins of Hope, Knoxville at the East Tennessee Foundation Luncheon program "Hope in Action"

February 23, 2019
Poetry reading at the Rose Glen Literary Festival in the Sevierville Convention Center

March 2, 2019
Judge for Poetry Out Loud State Finals, sponsored by the Tennessee Arts Commission. Tennessee State Museum, Nashville 

March 22, 2019
Read poem entitled Why Not Blossom Instead? for WDVX's new podcast program Word Stream The Weekly Writers Voice. Click here to locate her podcast.

March 22 and 23, 2019
Discussion leader with Dawnie Steadman regarding Regal Cinemas' premiere of “To Dust,” featuring Matthew Broderick, set at the Body Farm

March 28, 2019
Poetry reading and workshop at the Johnson City Library

April 5, 2019
Read poem entitled University of Tennessee Memorial Poem at the university's annual memorial service to honor students, faculty and staff who have passed away during the current academic year

April 11, 2019
Introduced the U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith to an afternoon U.T. class. Learn more.

April 13, 2019
Attended the Poets in the Garden fundraiser for the Botanical Gardens. The event was held at the home of Linda Parsons.

April 21, 2019
Poetry reading with Patricia Clark and Alice Friman at the North American Review poetry conference at University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls

April 26, 2019
Read poem entitled The State of Our City for Mayor Madeline Rogero's State of the City address at the site of the future Urban Wilderness Gateway Park. Watch the video below.



April 27-May 5, 2019
Residency at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts in Amherst, Virginia

May 2, 2019
Marilyn Kallet was honored by the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts as one of of the "Women Artists of Influence." She read the poem entitled I Want You Here at the event. Click here to learn more about the event.

June 7-18, 2019
Mentor for “Writing the River” residency in Auvillar, France. Sponsored by the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. Each spring since 2009, Kallet has mentored an atelier of poets in Auvillar. A poetry presentation was held on June 17 at Chapelle Ste. Catherine au port, Auvillar which included Kallet and invited poets Lucy Anderton, Deborah Harper Bono, Hannah Cook Cross, Christine Parkhurst, Tim Suermondt and Pui Yin Wong.

July 7, 2019
WUOT 91.9 FM highlighted Kallet on their Sunday morning show called The Authors Page. They shared her poem Knoxville Love Song. Click here to listen to the program.

July 15, 2019
Guest speaker at the annual meeting for Friends of the Knox County Library at the East Tennessee History Center

July 22, 2019
Taught classes in the summertime East Tennessee Freedom School at Maynard Elementary. Students read the poem The Red Wheelbarrow and drew pictures to illustrate the poem.


Time with East Tennessee Freedom School students reading "The Red Wheelbarrow" and doing illustrations

July 29, 2019
Featured performer at The Literature Café Global, held at Café Coco, 210 Louise Avenue, Nashville. Watch a Facebook Live of Kallet at the event.

September 6, 2019 - 6:45 p.m.
Read 225, and Beginning! a celebratory poem for the gala celebrating University of Tennessee’s 225th anniversary.

September 12, 2019 - 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Poetry writing and performance workshop for Career Magnet Academy at 7171 Strawberry Plains Pike. 

September 19, 2019 - 1 p.m.
Poetry reading at Heatherwood Retirement Community located at 9642 Burke Lake Road, Burke, Virginia. 

September 19, 2019
Attending the celebration for the 23rd U.S. Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry, Joy Harjo. A member of the Muscogee Creek Nation, Harjo is the first Native American to serve as U.S. Poet Laureate. Her reading begins at 7 p.m. in the Coolidge Auditorium at the Library of Congress in D.C. Joy Harjo’s reading is open to the public. Get there early! Learn more.

October 23, 2019 - 11 a.m.
Knoxville Writers’ Group, Cedar Bluff Holiday Inn. 

October 27, 2019 - 5-7 p.m.
Performer for the Interfaith Youth Poetry Slam called "Slam The Hate" at Arnstein Jewish Community Center.


Kallet with Amira Hamed of Seeds of Abraham at the "Slam The Hate" event

October 28, 2019 - 7:30 p.m.
Wine and Words Poetry reading with Linda Parsons, at Buck & Board, 109 E. 6th Street, Columbia, TN. Free and open to the public. 

November 6, 2019 - 6:30 p.m.
Interfaith poetry reading, "Meeting Our Faith Neighbors" at Westminster Presbyterian, 6500 S. Northshore, Knoxville.

November 10, 2019 - 4 p.m.
“Writing With the Mishpoka” at Heska Amuna located at 3811 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919. Free and open to the public. 

December 10, 2019 - 1:30 p.m.
Poetry reading and workshop for adults at 1:30 p.m. "One For Each Night" Chanukah Program for children and families at 4:30 p.m. Event held at the Jefferson City Public Library, 108 Center City Drive, Jefferson City, Tennessee. 


2020


January 10, 2020
Knoxville Poet Laureate Marilyn Kallet Shares Poetry for the New Year interview by WUOT 91.9fm. Listen to the interview here. There will be a second part to the interview aired on Jan. 27, 2020.

January 11, 2020 - 10 a.m.
Writing and Performing Your Own Poems at the Knoxville Children's Theater, 109 E. Churchwell Avenue. 

January 15, 2020 - 12 noon
Poetry reading of Let Freedom Ring at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Commemorative Commission Interfaith Prayer Service.

January 16, 2020
Poetry reading of The Marathon at the Phyllis Wheatley YWCA's 25th Annual Diversity Day and Race Against Racism.

January 27, 2020
Second part of Knoxville Poet Laureate Marilyn Kallet Shares on Holocaust Remembrance Day 2020 interview by WUOT 91.9fm. 

February 29, 2020 - 10 a.m.
Poetry reading for the Young Writers' Institute at the University of Tennessee. 

March 24, 2020
State of the City: Green, Greener poem written on March 24, 2020 to lift Knoxville’s spirits during the COVID-19 pandemic

March 27, 2020 - CANCELED
Poetry reading at the U.T. Southeast Climate Science Conference. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was canceled but Marilyn wrote Climate Elegy and Ode for the event.

April 1, 2020 - CANCELED
Poetry reading for Fulton High School Honors English class. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was canceled.

April 10, 2020
Poem entitled Beggar added to Poets.org

April 17, 2020 - CANCELED
Poetry reading for Girls Inc. Elite Awards. The theme is "Literary Ladies." Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was canceled but Marilyn wrote The Girl I Carried for the event.

April 18, 2020 - CANCELED
Poetry reading at Temple Beth El Talent Show. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was canceled.

April 24, 2020
Read State of the City: Green, Greener for Mayor Indya Kincannon's State of the City Address

May 15, 2020
Read Jack the Healing Cat to the Knoxville Jewish Day School children via Zoom.

May 22, 2020
Virtual poetry reading for Poetry Night at Read It Again Bookstore with Maria James-Thiaw in Suwanee, Georgia.

June 30, 2020
Mayor Indya Kincannon asked Kallet for a poem that rallies Knoxville to wear masks and our Poet Laureate wrote Friends Wear Masks!