The Writers and Authors Series

Peter and Jeanne Meinke

The Studio@620 welcomes Peter and Jeanne Meinke as part of the ongoing Writers and Authors series.  Join us as we celebrate the release of two beautiful books:  "Lines from Neuchatel," which features poems by Peter and drawings by Jeanne; and "Lines from Wildwood Lane," a companion volume which is Jeanne's first collection of her own drawings. Peter will give a reading of selected poetry and original artwork by Jeanne will be on display.  Enjoy a short discussion with the artist and poet, books will also be available for purchase.  Both books are published by the University of Tampa Press, and edited by Richard Mathews.

Thursday March 25, 2010 @ 7:30 PM.  Admission is free and open to the public. Reservations requested, call 727-895-6620

Poet Peter Meinke

Peter Meinke, St. Petersburg's first Poet Laureate, has published 14 books of poems, 7 in the prestigious Pitt  Poetry Series, the most recent being The Contracted World (2006), Zinc Fingers (2001), and Scars (1996).   His poetry has received many awards, including 2 NEA Fellowships and 3 prizes from the Poetry Society of America.  

Peter's book of short stories, The Piano Tuner, won the 1986 Flannery O’Connor Award; another collection, Unheard Music, will be published in 2007, along with his book on reading and writing poems, The Shape of Poetry.   He directed the Writing Workshop at Eckerd College for many years, and has often been writer-in-residence at other colleges and universities; from 2003 through 2005 he held the Darden Chair in Creative Writing at Old Dominion University.  

His work has appeared in The Atlantic, The New Yorker, The New Republic, and dozens of other magazines; he and his wife, the artist Jeanne Clark, have lived in St. Petersburg since 1966.

Artist Jeanne Meinke

Jeanne Meinke’s elegant pen & ink drawings have graced the pages of The New Yorker, Gourmet, Bon Appetit, and Early American Life, as well as literary magazines such as Western Humanities Review, Eckerd Review, and Konglomerati.   She has also illustrated numerous books, ranging from The Phoenix of the Western World (U. of Oklahoma Press) to Light Year ‘87 (Bits Press).  

In addition, she has collaborated with her husband on a children’s book, The Legend of Larry the Lizard (John Knox Press); a bilingual poetry book, Maples & Orange Trees (St. Petersburg, Russia); and five poetry chapbooks, including the prize-winning Campocorto.   For the last few years, Jeanne's drawings have accompanied her husband's biweekly column, The Poet's Notebook, in the area's alternative newspaper, Creative Loafing.