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I am the Prairie: Poetry Readings and the Illinois Prairie (Adults)

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Join poet Joanne Hayes as she reads from her newest volume of poetry, "I am the Prairie."

Growing up in Naperville, Joanne McNeil Hayes wrote poems about Midwestern life before moving to southern Vermont with her young family. Knowing she grew up in the shadow of the prairie, Joanne returned in 2024 and 2025 to hike and research nine refurbished and reconstructed prairie sites close to Naperville, including those along the Illinois Prairie Path. The resulting poems not only reflect on growing up in the Midwest, but they also focus on immigration patterns from Vermont to Illinois, as well as the unique ecology of these prairie ecosystems. Join us as Joanne shares selected poems from her newest collection, I am the Prairie, as well as some photos from sites along the Illinois Prairie Path. 

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