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Poetry at the Point: Melissa Qualls & Mark W. Kumming
August 27 @ 7:30 pm
This reading will be held in-person at Focal Point, and also streamed live to this event page and to Saint Louis Poetry Center’s Facebook page.
Poems Out of Nowhere
Poems can sneak up on us during the most banal moments of daily life. In these moments, we are not searching for poems, but being found by them. Mark Kumming and Melissa Qualls (both of Babler Poetry Society) will read from the poetry that has found them, as well as engage in dialogue about creating community with other poets.
HEALTH REQUIREMENTS
Patrons are encouraged to wear face masks when attending Poetry at the Point in-person at Focal Point. Learn more >>
ABOUT THE POETS
Melissa Qualls has taught in the English department at Lindenwood University since 2002 and earned her MFA in Creative Writing in 2018. She lives in Webster Groves with her husband, two daughters, and their two pampered cats. Her poetry explores the coexistence of pain and beauty in everyday life, and most recently her poem “They Look So Small, Lying There” won Second Honorable Mention at the 2024 Wednesday Club Original Poetry competition.
Mark W. Kumming has a Masters Degree in English and taught ESL and Comp at the University level. A former RN, he completed a career as a medical products sales rep and trainer in 2010. Mark is 72 and returned to writing poetry two years ago after a 50 year hiatus. He volunteers with Saint Louis Poetry Center and also raises money for Circle of Concern food pantry in Valley Park. He facilitates the Babler Poetry Society, a collection of St. Louis poets who write poetry and read one another’s work. He is deeply indebted to his spouse of 47 years, Deborah.