Upcoming
June 2023, The 17th General Meeting of the International Thomas Merton Society, St. Mary’s College, South Bend, Indiana.
Recent
Tuesday, July 12, 2022
Northern Renaissance Arts & Science Reading Series, UAA’s Fine Arts Recital Hall
For the closing week of University of Alaska Anchorage’s low-residency graduate program in creative writing, Kathleen gave a public reading, along with UAA-MFA faculty member and novelist, Valerie Miner.
Tuesday, May 3, 2022
UKRAINE: Kathleen participated in a panel and community conversation at Kenai Peninsula College, Kachemak Bay campus, in Homer, Alaska, to share perspectives about current events surrounding Russia’s invasion of sovereign, democratic Ukraine. Panelists included history and economics professors, writers, and others with personal ties to this part of Eastern Europe. Panelists shared their insights about Russian and Ukrainian history and how this conflict is challenging the world. Free and open to the public.
Sunday, April 10, 2022
Co-presenter with Alaskan author, Joan Wilson (The Book of Timothy) at the Sunday Forum of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Anchorage, 9:00 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. via Zoom.
(Due to COVID/Omicron protocols, this in-person event, originally scheduled for January 27, 2022, is being rescheduled for spring 2022. Location: TBD.) Conversation and reading with fellow Anchorage writer, author, and lawyer, Joan Nockels Wilson (The Book of Timothy, 2021)
November 9, 2021, Featured Speaker, “Tuesdays With Merton,” a national podcast series, presented monthly by St. Mary’s College in South Bend, Indiana, and the International Thomas Merton Society. Title of Kathleen’s talk: “From the Inner Frontier to the Last Frontier: Thomas Merton’s 1968 Journey to Alaska.”
June 2021
Presenter, 17th General Meeting, International Thomas Merton Society, Notre Dame University (virtual conference) paper, “On the Necessity of Pilgrimage”
March 2020
Judge, Poetry Out Loud, statewide poetry competition for Alaska high school students
January 27, 2021
Featured Poet & Curator, Poetry Parley Virtual Event, “Poets of Central & Eastern Europe” (in commemoration of 75th anniversary of the ending of the Second World War in Europe)
October/November 2020
Instructor (four-week webinar for 60 participants), “Thomas Merton: Spiritual Explorer for Our Times”
November 16, 2019
Luncheon speaker, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton’s, women’s group (Women at the Well), Anchorage, Alaska
November 15, 2019
Alaska Quarterly Review, public event, The Writer’s Blockstore & Cafe, Anchorage, 7:00-9:30 p.m.; one of three featured writers presenting a dramatic reading of two AQR short stories. Master of Ceremony: Ron Spatz, founder and editor-in-chief, AQR.
October 22, 2019
Guest speaker, Thomas Merton Symposium, Katowice, Poland, University of Silesia.
June 27-30, 2019
Presenter, International Thomas Merton Society, 16th General Meeting, Santa Clara University
May 4 Instructor, “Merton the Literary Man”, seminar for 49 Writers, Anchorage.
April 27, 2019 Guest speaker, New York City, Corpus Christi Chapter of the InternationalThomas Merton Society.
April 6, 2019 Featured Writer, Beyond the Stacks annual fundraiser, Anchorage Public Library
March 8, 2019 Taught “Merton the Literary Man” seminar, 49 Writers, Juneau
March 6, 2019 Guest Speaker, Alaska State Museum, Juneau
February 13, 2019 Guest Author Presentation, OLE Program (UAA); 9:15 a.m.
March 6, 2019 Juneau. Talk given at the Alaska State Museum–49 Writers and the Alaska State Council on the Arts, sponsors.
March 8, 2019 Taught a 49 Writers workshop in Juneau, “Writers, Seekers, Pilgrims: A Session on Thomas Merton.”
March 27, 2019 Associated Writing Programs conference, Portland, Oregon.
April 6, 2019 Guest Author, “Beyond the Stacks,” fundraiser for Loussac Public Library, Anchorage
April 8, 2019 Teaching, 49Writers seminar, Anchorage, More details soon!
January 16, 2019 Barnes & Noble, Anchorage, book signing, 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.
November 10, 2018, Gave PowerPoint talk, Thomas Merton Center of Pittsburgh, noon to 2:00 p.m.
November 1, Kenai Peninsula College, Kenai/Soldotna, Alaska; McLane Commons, 6:30 p.m., Presentation and reading for KPC’s Showcase speaker series.
October 14, 2018, Anchorage Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, guest speaker at Sunday Forum, 9:00 a.m. to 10:15, 2824 East 18th Avenue, Anchorage. “Reflections on Thomas Merton’s 1968 Alaska Journey.”
October 15-18, 2018 Yakutat, Alaska, presentations to book club and community on We Are All Poets Here.
October 4, 2018
Alaska Professional Communicators, luncheon guest speaker. Kinley’s Restaurant (3230 Seward Highway, Anchorage), 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
September 28-29, 2018
“Thomas Merton in Alaska” Conference, St. Elizabeth Anne Seton’s, Anchorage, to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Merton’s 1968 sojourn to Alaska. Conference speaker & book signing.
September 12-15, 2018
Alaska Historical Society Annual Conference – Tundra & Ice: History in Alaska’s Arctic. Conference Speaker. Nome, Alaska.
August 26, 2018 Book Signing, St. Paul’s Corner, Holy Family Cathedral, Bookstore, 5th Avenue, Anchorage.
Other appearances:
Alaska Writer’s Guild Monthly Program: Author & Publisher Presentation. The Writer’s Block Bookstore & Cafe (3956 Spenard Rd, Anchorage, AK 99517), 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., May 8, 2018.
Homer City Library Book Club, June Book: We Are All Poets Here Author Reading. Homer City Library (500 Hazel Ave, Homer, AK 99603), 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., June 26, 2018.
Thomas Merton Society of Great Britain & Ireland Oakham Conference. Panel presenter, “Showcasing Contemporary Merton Work,” April 6-8, 2018. United Kingdom.
49 Writers Craft Talk. “On the Literary Road with Thomas Merton: Writing as a Pilgrimage,” March 1, 2018. Indigo Tea Lounge, Anchorage.
UAA Campus Bookstore We Are All Poets Here Presentation and Discussion. “On the Frontiers of an Inner Life: Thomas Merton’s 1968 Journey to Alaska”, February 6, 2018.Book Launch Party, We Are All Poets Here, January 27, 2018. The Writer’s Block Bookstore & Cafe, Anchorage.
Kodiak Island, July 20-27, 2017.
Panelist, Notre Dame University. “Trying to Say ‘God’ : Re-Enchanting the Catholic Literary Imagination,” Conference, South Bend, Indiana, June 22-24, 2017. Panel topic: “Thomas Merton and Writing as an Act of Resistance.”
Other past events:
The 15th General Meeting of the International Thomas Merton Society, St. Bonaventure University, Olean, New York, June 15-18, 2017.
June 22-24, 2017
Panelist, Notre Dame University. “Trying to Say ‘God’ : Re-Enchanting the Catholic Literary Imagination,” conference, South Bend, Indiana, June 22-24, 2017. Panel topic: “Thomas Merton and Writing as an Act of Resistance.”
The 15th General Meeting of the International Thomas Merton Society, St. Bonaventure University, Olean, New York, June 15-18, 2017.
Kathleen W. Tarr 