At 4:30 p.m. on April 10, award-winning poet Dante Micheaux stood before a gathering of listeners to read his poetry in the Illini Union Bookstore. He is the author of the poetry collections “Circus” (2018) and “Amorous Shepherd” (2010).

The reading was funded by the Robert J. and Katherin Carr Visiting Author Series. 

Micheaux’s latest publication, “Circus,” won the Four Quartets Prize from the Poetry Society of America and the T.S. Eliot Foundation. 

The poems selected ranged from eulogic farewells to political unrest to homoerotic sexual desire. Common thematic elements to Micheaux’s work include an American, queer experience and exploration of nature in relation to humanity.

For the reading, students and professors gathered in the cozy upstairs Author’s Corner of the IUB. Some listeners looked upon Micheaux as he read, and others closed their eyes to fully digest his poems.

A standout piece titled “Apples,” featured in “Amorous Shepherd,” uses symbols of fruit to understand an unconventional or queer sexual nature. The lines detail a rejection of different varieties of apples to signal a desire for a hard-to-get romance. 

“I write a lot about the relationships between men,” Micheaux said. “Eroticism is a very important part of my poetic practice because its rhythm lends itself to my syntax.” 

Multiple pieces showcased at the reading dripped with tonal elements of lust and uncontrollable longing. These themes cement Micheaux as a romantic artist. 

Inspiration was taken from Micheaux’s sentiments of an unapologetic craving for fruit, “grown in the throats of men.” Joshua Upshaw, freshman in LAS, found that the last lines of “Apples” were unforgettable. 

“That line seems to me to be about expressing freedom and wanting to be oneself fully in a way that can be demonstrated outward,” Upshaw said. 

Nathan Metz, a graduate student studying poetry, was struck by the pleasantly phonetic and lyrical nature of the poems read. 

“In a time in contemporary poetry where many are interested in telling stories through narrative structures and definitions of words, he’s very interested in telling stories through the sounds of words,” Metz said. 

Throughout the event, Micheaux emphasized his strength in reading his work aloud. He told the crowd that his poetry is heard best when coming from his own voice, and he composes his poems similarly to music. The musical quality of his creative process shone through his work as rhythmic and lyrical lines echoed through the room. 

Audience members reflected on both Micheaux’s compositional process and the song-like quality of his finished work. 

“It felt like they were composed as musical meters,” Metz said. “Words were notes instead of words, which is unique and fresh.” 

Micheaux chose “The Warm Heart of the Earth” as the final poem read. The piece invoked images of utopic nature settings juxtaposed with the violence of human nature. Calling out for a world untouched, Micheaux celebrated the natural world in his final reading to the audience. 

As a Black poet, Micheaux understands he often defies expectations when writing about subjects beyond race. 

“I am doing everything that I can to be a Black American man writing about the natural world when there are totally different expectations of what my subject matter should be,” Micheaux said. 

Standing proudly in his convictions, he charts his own course and writes poetry for himself before anyone else. 

After Micheaux finished his readings, audience members stood in a long line for Micheaux to sign their copies of “Circus.” He greeted each person kindly and had personal conversations about their thoughts on poetry and what the reading meant to them. 

Lori Newcomb, associate professor in LAS, was among the crowd. She shared Micheaux’s poetry with her students and brought some along with her to the reading.

“I do really care about teaching students to write poetry, and I do believe that poetry should offer linguistic delight in the way that Dante does,” Newcomb said. 

With poems spanning years of his career, Micheaux provided insight into his style and voice to the University. He ended the event with a bold statement.

“Read poetry, and read a lot of it,” Micheaux said. “It’s much more important and much better for your life than reading any other genre of literature.”

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