Local poets read at Fruitlands

Linda Hoffman will read, “Tree Harp,” a poetic reflection from her sculpting with old tree trunks. She explains how some trees grow to heal themselves from an invading fungus, creating a ‘harp’ shape. Says Hoffman, “This red oak harp might well have strings tensioned between its two spiraling arms. Like the transformational qualities of spirals in nature, healthy wood now embraces sky.” (Courtesy photo)

Inspired by the towering tree sculptures newly installed throughout the Fruitlands landscape, six poets will gather Sunday afternoon to read poems laced with metaphors of trees and their place in human lives. The reading will take place at 3 p.m. in the Picture Gallery, and Fruitlands poet-in-residence Susan Edwards Richmond will begin with the inaugural reading of a poem by Scottish author Morag Henricksen called “Overturned.” Following Richmond on the podium will be other local poets, including Harvard artist and poet Linda Hoffman. The poetry reading will be held in conjunction with the Fruitlands 2008 exhibition, “Branching Out,” which includes Joseph Wheelwright’s sculpture installation “Tree Figures,” as well as a gallery exhibit entitled “Forests Interrupted.”

Trees are a rich source of inspiration in poetry and literature, both Richmond and poet Joan Kimball said in an interview on Aug. 1. From the Tree of Life to the birches of Robert Frost, trees are a metaphor for many things, Richmond explained. People are intrigued by their steadfast nature and silent witness to hundreds of years of human history, a fascination that inspires poets to weave tree-inspired imagery throughout their work. “Willow in Winter” is one of the poems Kimball, an accomplished storyteller, will read on Sunday.

Hoffman will read “Tree Harp,” a poetic reflection on strength and healing in trees. A sculptor who often uses wood in her work, she became fascinated with the way trees cope with invasive bacteria by growing around them, creating a harp-like shape. Other poets reading their work include Helen Marie Casey, Tom Daley, Moira Linehan, and Joel Moskowitz. Many of the poets have published work, and those books will be available for sale at the reception following the reading. The event is free to Fruitlands Museum and Concord Poetry Center members, and with museum admission.

Sunday’s performance will mark the second collaboration of Fruitlands and the Concord Poetry Center. The event is a way of incorporating poetry into contemporary life, Richmond pointed out, and audience members will enjoy spending a summer afternoon looking out at the beautiful landscape.

“They’re going to really enjoy the setting,” she said.