Michael Symmons Roberts

Whether he’s writing poetry, journalism, plays or librettos, Michael Symmons Roberts is always seeking out “connections between the things of the spirit and the things of the world” (Jeanette Winterson). In his new collection, Drysalter, he set himself the challenge of writing 150 poems, each with 15 lines. Though the title is evocative of medieval psalters and the ancient “drysalting” chemical trade, Roberts’ subject matter is relentlessly modern: he journeys through financial markets, karaoke booths, and the urban wastelands that he explored in his previous book (2011’s haunting Edgelands). Constantly open to surprise, Roberts beautifully captures the shock and dislocation of catching your own life unawares. Join us for an evening of readings both earthy and elegiac.