INconversation with Aimee Nezhukumatathil (Indianapolis)

Event Details

Join us Wednesday, September 21, for a conversation with award-winning poets Aimee Nezhukumatathil and Adrian Matejka at the Central Branch of the Indianapolis Public Library. 

About this event 

In World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, & Other Astonishments, poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil reflects on the natural world and all its wonders in this collection of 28 short essays. Each essay reflects on a different plant, animal, or experience Nezhukumatathil has had with the natural world, such as the ambiguous smile of the axolotl, the repulsive scent of the corpse flower, the stunning blue of a peacock, and the flickering of fireflies. Nezhukumatathil connects these encounters to her own experiences as a writer, mother, and woman of color living in America today. Beautifully illustrated by Fumi Mini Nakamura, Nezhukumatathil’s writing is full of the wondrous, encouraging readers to think through the connections they’ve discovered with the natural world, and what ones might yet be unearthed.  

Offered as part of Indiana Humanities’ Unearthed programming, a multiyear initiative encouraging Hoosiers to discover and discuss their relationships with the natural world, this special INconversation with Aimee Nezhukumatathil will feature a moderated conversation with Indiana’s own Adrian Matejka, former Poet Laureate of the state of Indiana and current Editor of Poetry Magazine. The evening will wrap up with an audience Q&A followed by book sales and signing. This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required. ASL interpretation will be provided. 

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SCHEDULE (All times Eastern.) 

6:30 p.m. Doors open 

7:00-8:15 p.m. INconversation with Aimee Nezhukumatathil moderated by Adrian Matejka 

This program will also be available to view via livestream. Follow @INhumanities on social media to be notified when the livestream begins.    

8:15-9:00 p.m. Book sales and signing 

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About Aimee Nezhukumatathil 

Aimee Nezhukumatathil is the author of the New York Times best-selling illustrated collection of nature essays and Kirkus Prize finalist, World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, & Other Astonishments (2020, Milkweed Editions), which was chosen as Barnes and Noble’s Book of the Year. She has four previous poetry collections: Oceanic (Copper Canyon Press, 2018), Lucky Fish (2011), At the Drive-in Volcano (2007), and Miracle Fruit (2003), the last three from Tupelo Press.  Her most recent chapbook is Lace & Pyrite, a collaboration of epistolary garden poems with the poet Ross Gay. Her writing appears twice in the Best American Poetry Series, The New York Times Magazine, ESPN, Ploughshares, American Poetry Review, and Tin House. 

Honors include a poetry fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Pushcart Prize, a Mississippi Arts Council grant, and being named a Guggenheim Fellow in poetry. In 2021, she became the first-ever poetry editor for SIERRA magazine, the storytelling arm of The Sierra Club. She is professor of English and Creative Writing in the University of Mississippi’s MFA program. 

About Adrian Matejka 

Adrian Matejka’s most recent collection of poetry is Somebody Else Sold the World. His other books are Map to the Stars; The Big Smoke, which was the winner of the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award and a finalist for both the National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize; Mixology, which was selected for the National Poetry Series; and The Devil’s Garden (Alice James Books, 2003), winner of the New York / New England Award. Among Matejka’s other honors are fellowships from the Academy of American Poets, the Guggenheim Foundation, the Lannan Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and United States Artists. He served as Poet Laureate of the state of Indiana in 2018-19 and is Editor of Poetry Magazine. 

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About INconversation  

INconversation engages an intimate group in interesting and insightful conversations with some of the nation’s most intriguing thought leaders. This highly participatory question-and-answer style discussion involves the thought leader, a moderator and the audience. INconversation is a signature program of Indiana Humanities.  

 

About One State / One Story: World of Wonders  

Indiana Humanities’ One State / One Story: World of Wonders invites Hoosiers to engage deeply with Aimee Nezhukumatathil’s World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments as part of a statewide conversation tied to Indiana Humanities’ Unearthed initiative, which explores Hoosiers’ relationships with the natural world. The heart of One State / One Story: World of Wonders is communities coming together to talk about Nezhukumatathil’s remarkable collection of essays. In total, 30 organizations are taking part in community reads of the collection, with more than 90 programs happening across the state.  

 

About Indiana Humanities  

Indiana Humanities connects people, opens minds and enriches lives by creating and facilitating programs that encourage Hoosiers to think, read and talk. www.IndianaHumanities.org  

 

About the Indianapolis Public Library  

The Indianapolis Public Library enriches everyone and strengthens communities by inspiring lifelong learning. 

ASL interpretation services will be available. If you need further accommodations, or have questions about accessibility, please contact Megan Telligman, director of programs, at mtelligman@indianahumanities.org. 

Indiana Humanities takes photos and video at its events. These photos and video may appear on the Indiana Humanities website and in promotional materials. Your attendance at this event indicates your consent to have your image photographed, videotaped, and your permission to be interviewed, if appropriate.