Poet Joanne McNeil Hayes kicks off park poetry series

Poet Joanne McNeil Hayes is set to kick off the seventh season of the Words in the Woods program at Button Bay State Park in Ferrisburgh.

The event is scheduled for 11 a.m. June 20, according to a community announcement.

Hayes, who grew up in a Chicago suburb, wrote poems about Midwestern life before moving to southern Vermont. Her work has been published in Plum, ENOUGH, Crosswinds and Valley and Beyond.

Her current book of poetry, “I am the Prairie,” explores growing up in the shadow of the Illinois prairie and witnessing patterns of immigration from 1832 to 1900, when Vermont farmers moved to the fertile prairie of that state, according to the announcement.

Vermont Humanities is covering the park entrance fees for the event, allowing attendees to enjoy a full day at the park.

The full schedule is available at vermonthumanities.org/programs/attend/words-in-the-woods-events.

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