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.
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Kallet read her poem entitled Knoxville Love Song at the Festival on the Fourth in World's Fair Park, July 4, 2018. |
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WBIR Video of Marilyn Kallet |
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Kallet with K9 Officer Bruno and Officer Jeffrey Quirin |
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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. |
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Kallet at the Founders Day Luncheon |
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Kallet with San Bernardino Police Department Spokesdog Sherlock |
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Kallet at the Arnstein Jewish Community Center vigil |
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Kallet with performance poet and UT Alum Taria Person at The Secret City Poetry Night at Oak Ridge Civic Center |
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Kallet wrote a special poem for the ribbon-cutting of the Violins of Hope exhibit. |
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Kallet and U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith |
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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. |
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Kallet with Linda Parsons at the Poets in the Garden event - a fundraiser for Botanical Gardens |
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Kallet teaching a poetry writing and performance workshop at Career Magnet Academy |
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Kallet with (L to R) husband Lou Gross, Owen Sapulpa and U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo |
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Teaching "From Page to Stage," with the Knoxville Children's Theater teens |
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Kallet reading a poem at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Commemorative Commission Interfaith Prayer Service |
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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 - 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
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 - 10 a.m.
Writing and Performing Your Own Poems at the Knoxville Children's Theater, 109 E. Churchwell Avenue.
January 15 - 12 noon
Poetry reading of
Let Freedom Ring at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Commemorative Commission Interfaith Prayer Service.
January 16
Poetry reading of
The Marathon at the Phyllis Wheatley YWCA's 25th Annual Diversity Day and Race Against Racism.
January 27
Second part of
Knoxville Poet Laureate Marilyn Kallet Shares on Holocaust Remembrance Day 2020 interview by WUOT 91.9fm.
February 29 - 10 a.m.
Poetry reading for the Young Writers' Institute at the University of Tennessee.
March 24
State of the City: Green, Greener poem written on March 24, 2020 to lift Knoxville’s spirits during the COVID-19 pandemic
March 27 - 8:45 a.m.
Poetry reading at the U.T. Southeast Climate Science Conference.
April 1 - 9:30 a.m.
Poetry reading for Fulton High School Honors English class
April 17 - 6:30 p.m.
Poetry reading for Girls Inc. Elite Awards. The theme is "Literary Ladies."
April 18 - TBA
Temple Beth El Talent Show
April 24 - TBA
Poetry reading for Mayor Indya Kincannon's State of the City Address
June 5-16
Mentor for “Writing the River” residency in Auvillar, France for the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts.