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Kortney Morrow Author Visit with Marcus Jackson
Run It Back Book Release Event
Thursday, July 09
6:30pm - 8:00pm
Bexley Public Library
Bexley Library AuditoriumKortney Morrow visits BPL to celebrate the release of her debut poetry collection Run It Back, winner of the Saturnalia Books Poetry Prize. Kortney will be in conversation with Marcus Jackson.
Join us at the Bexley Public Library as we celebrate the release of Kortney Morrow's luminous debut poetry collection, Run It Back. Celebrated poet Carmen Giménez praises Run It Back as "an essential book on the profundity of pop culture's touchstones in shaping identity."
Thank you to Prologue Bookshop for partnering with us on this event to sell copies of Run It Back for the book signing.
About the Book:
Kortney Morrow's luminous debut collection, RUN IT BACK, creates an iridescent dreamscape where early 2000s nostalgia is intricately woven into rigorous questioning around belonging, borders, fugitivity, and freedom.
From a heroic crown sonnet stitching the colorways of an iconic basketball shoe with the economic development of a region to reimagining American Girl Dolls at a mandatory diversity training, Morrow's playfulness and humor uncover more than meets the eye. Using the principles of material culture studies and an evocative display of poetic forms, Morrow flips everyday pop culture on its head, revealing the hidden seams running through our lives.
These dazzling poems quietly refute the myth of linear progress. In the search for freedom, Morrow explores how the desire to move forward can be a rallying cry to run it back. Saturnalia Books Poetry Prize judge, Carmen Giménez, calls Morrow "a cultural archaeologist," solidifying a stunning new voice in American arts and letters.
About the Author:
Kortney Morrow is a poet and writer creating from her studio in Cleveland, Ohio. Her work has received support from 68to05, The Academy of American Poets, The Studio Museum in Harlem, Prairie Schooner, Tin House, and Transition Magazine. Her debut poetry collection, Run It Back, was the winner of the 2024 Saturnalia Books Poetry Prize, judged by Carmen Giménez.
About the Moderator:
Marcus Jackson is a Cave Canem Fellow and an award-winning writer and visual artist. His poems and photographs have appeared in The American Poetry Review, The New Yorker, and The New York Times Magazine, among other publications. Jackson has previously published one chapbook and two full-length poetry collections, including Pardon My Heart. He directs the Creative Writing MFA Program at The Ohio State University.
If you would like to receive an email reminder about this event, please register. Join us in person, or live stream this program on BPL's YouTube channel.
Library Parking & Entrance Information:
While the library's main entrance is under construction, we remain open. Clear signage will guide visitors to a temporary, fully accessible entrance via a ramp in the southeast alley, leading to the dock entrance.
The library parking lot also remains open, with temporary entry and exit available via Euclaire Avenue only. Parking may be limited, so we encourage you to arrive early and use street parking on Euclaire, Mound, and other nearby streets.
For more information about the Outdoor Reading Room project, visit www.BexleyLibrary.org/ORR.
AGE GROUP: | Adults |
EVENT TYPE: | Global and Cultural Awareness | Books Reading and Storytelling | Art Music and Culture |
Bexley Public Library
Bexley Public Library was founded in 1924 and first housed in Bexley High School, now Montrose Elementary School. The present building opened in 1929 and was designed by architects O.C. Miller and R.R. Reeves who drew upon French and Italian architecture from the 17th century for the design.
The library is located at 2411 East Main Street, at the intersection of East Main Street and Cassady Avenue. Parking is available in our parking lot on Euclaire Avenue and in front of the library on Main Street. Main Street is a No Parking Tow Zone from 4:00-6:00 p.m. weekdays.