An Interesting and informative night at Writers Night Out Friday evening

Writer’s Night Out was held on Zoom Friday evening, January 8 and 16 participants enjoyed the poetry by Karen Luke Jackson from her book, Grit.  Carroll Taylor hosted the event.

Grit, published by Finishing Line Press, is a tribute to and a memoir about Karen’s sister, Janis Luke Roberts who became a professional clown. The illustrations in the book are perfect for the story, for Janis’ voice. Janis entertained in children’s hospitals and in prominent venues around the country. But she also visited schools and other places where she uplifted children.

After an elementary school visit, she had a phone call from a young boy who asked to speak to Clancey the Clown. The child asked if he could live with Clancey in a town created by Janis Roberts for a book she wrote. She learned that the child needed to escape his abusive home. This incident made Janis aware of how important her work was as a clown. This phone call opened the door for the little boy to receive help.

Karen Jackson gave a terrific presentation that could be a lesson to all poets. She held her audience close with every word she spoke. The narrative poems grabbed me by the heartstrings. As Joseph Bathanti said recently at WNO, using narrative poems for a reading draws the listener in. We heard poems in several voices which made the collection even more interesting.

 Whether you are a poet, normally like or dislike poetry, you will be pleased you read Grit. Contact Karen Luke Jackson at https://www.karenlukejackson.com/about