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She may not be native of Maine, but that did not stop Katherine Ellis from paying homage to a state landmark.
On Wednesday afternoon, the poet participated in another installment of the Women’s Studies Program Lunch Series entitled “Circling Katahdin: A Discussion of Poetry/Music Collaborations,” in the Bangor Room of Memorial Union.
“Mount Katahdin is a symbol of the state to some extent,” Ellis said. “It is a symbol of endurance, challenge and wildness and these are the things that I feel represent Maine.”
Ellis’ “Circling Katadhin” is a 10-poem work conveying different features about the state’s tallest mountain. Outside of discussing the content of the work, the lecture also showcased that poems would be turned into song for two upcoming concerts on Friday and Sunday.
Jan Gilbert, a music instructor at Macalester College in Minnesota, was asked to arrange the music for the concert. Gilbert’s work, which will be performed by the University Singers, tries to capture a feeling for the poem. Gilbert, a former professor at Maine, said that she used instruments such as the flute to symbolize the sound of a bird in the work “Wind-Bird’s Song.”
“Coming back to Maine, I was really excited that I could have my work performed here,” Gilbert said. “I am curious to see, does this represent Maine and more importantly, does it really capture that feeling of walking through the woods.”
Ellis said that her inspiration came from reading works such as “Alturas de Macchu Picchu” by Pablo Neruda, which is also a collection of multiple works describing the growing concern for the region in Latin America.
Outside of writing other collections such as “Red Horses,” she is also a UMaine professor in the English department and Honors College.
“When I first came to Maine, I did not write about it for a few years,” said Ellis, a California native. “I had read everything I possibly could about this place but it’s just not the same when you actually experience it first hand.”
