Charles Webb, a published poet and professor of English at Cal State Long Beach, and Ron Koertge, a published poet and a former professor of writing at Hamline University in Minnesota, performed at a poetry reading held by the Hip Poetics club in the University Student Union Beach Theatre Feb. 24.
Webb, a member of the CSULB English department for more than 20 years, read many of his own poems, among which were “Vikings” and “Jackass the Viewer.”
Koertge, who retired after 37 years of teaching, read his poems “Lois Lanes’ Secret Diary” and “Teen Jesus.”
His favorite part of writing is “discovering something that amazes me,” Webb said. “It keeps [the] love of language alive.”
Webb has published chapbooks as well as poetry books. The CSULB professor is also a musician.
Webb said that he wants to show students that poetry is a fun, enjoyable and exciting experience. He also said he wants to make students think of things in ways that they never have before.
Webb not only loves to write but he also loves to read as well.
“Writers have to be readers first,” Webb said. “How else are you going to learn?”
Koertge also seemed to share Webb’s love for writing.
The former Hamline professor said he writes every day for about 3 to 4 hours and that he likes the process of writing more than seeing his work finished.
Koertge, who primarily writes for young readers, showed a six-minute film produced by students and based on his poem “Moving Day.”
“I hope people have passed a pleasant 30 minutes,” Koertge said of his audience.
Koertge said he loved teaching and even used stories that he heard from his students, with their permission, in some of his own works.
CSULB students were excited to see their professor perform.
“Tonight, I hope to actually see Charles Webb the poet,” said junior Kristin Baltazar, who takes classes with Webb.
Webb and Koertge were both introduced by Nicole Street, president and founder of Hip Poetics, and two masters of fine arts students, Luisa Peña and Rola Eldanaf.
There was also a table outside the theater in the lobby, where the campus bookstore sold books written by Webb and Koertge.
There were a few small technical difficulties with the microphone and the projection screen throughout the event, but the audience still clapped for the poets at the end of their pieces and laughed at the funny moments in between.
Street said that she hopes people “walk away loving poetry more.”
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