YOU ARE INVITED
to an afternoon of poetry and music, featuring
COUNT
by Valerie Martínez
University of Arizona Press, 2021
“Simply put, this breathtaking book-length poem tells ‘the story of water’—in all its epochs.
It is a cautionary epic that we ignore at our own peril.” --Francisco Aragon
Sunday, April 30, 2023: 1 pm MST
Albuquerque Museum
2000 Mountain Road NW
Albuquerque, NM 87104
Free and open to the public
Join us for a reading from Count, by poet Valerie Martínez, as well as excerpts from the world premiere of “As the Waters Began to Rise,” a work for voices by composer Peter Gilbert, featuring sections from Martinez’s book-length poem and performed by Ekmeles on April 7, 2022. Listen to the composition on SoundCloud.
“I cannot think of a timelier book than Count. And I wouldn’t trust such a book from a poet
who’s not as attuned as Valerie Martínez to the urgencies of environmental issues
and their inextricable bond to social justice.” Rigoberto Gonzalez
“After describing several of Earth’s spectacular, ordinary creatures—aspens, mice, katydids, Atlas mothers—
Valerie Martínez asks, Have we ever thought to count these out?/I mean, count? Again and again,
her brilliant book-length poem probes history, mythology, the environmental crisis, asking us
to take account—to “be reverent and disciplined, to live on the edge/of great balance—
the sum of incalculable beauty.” --Ann Fisher-Wirth
Receive a free copy of COUNTfor the first ten attendees
who arrive after 12:30 pm. Additional copies can be purchased
at the event. Book signing after the reading.
VALERIE MARTINEZ is the author of five books of poetry, including two book-length works (Each and Her and Count), a chapbook of poetry and prose (A Hundred Little Mouths), and a book of translations (Delmira Agustini). Her poems have been published widely in anthologies, journals, and magazines, including The Best American Poetry, Touching the Fire: Fifteen Poets of Today’s Latino Renaissance, Puerto del Sol, and Poetry. Her books have won numerous awards and honors including the Larry Levis Prize, a Greenwall Grant from the Academy of American Poets, the Arizona Book Award, and Honorable Mention in the International Latino/a Book Awards.
PETER GILBERT currently teaches music composition at the University of New Mexico. He has held artist residencies at ZKM | Institut für Akustik und Musik, the Aaron Copland House, Akademie Schloss Solitude, La Mortella, Tage Aktueller Musik Nürnberg, and the Newburyport Chamber Music Festival. Accolades and commissions have come from the Barlow Foundation, New Music USA, the Russolo Foundation, Kennedy Center Education, the Look & Listen Festival, the Third Practice Festival, IMEB Bourges, and the Washington International Composers Competition. His work as a composer, performer and producer can also be heard on Innova Recordings, GM Recordings, Sono Luminus, Affeto, Centaur, a planned album forthcoming with Neuma Records, and at http://petergilbert.net.
EKMELES is a NYC-based vocal sextet dedicated to the performance of new and rarely-heard works, and gems of the historical avant garde. Ekmeles performed “As the Waters Began to Rise” on April 7, 2022 at the Cathedral of St. John, part of the 2022 John Donald Robb Composers Symposium 50th Anniversary Celebration. Vocalists: Charlotte Mundy, soprano; Elise Sutherland, mezzo-soprano; Tim Keeler, counter-tenor; Eric Dudley, tenor; Jeffrey Gavett, baritone; Steven Hrycelak, bass. https://ekmeles.com/
Arrive early on April 30 for “Free Sunday Mornings at the Albuquerque Museum”
from 9 am to 1 pm. Learn more about museum exhibitions here
Book Cover Image: Basia Irland