What has become a tradition at Butler Community College grew another year stronger Wednesday when Daniel Spees delivered a poetry presentation as part of the Oil Hill Reading Series.
The path to writing poetry wasn't a straight one for Spees. He originally pursued a degree in education with goals of becoming a teacher, but then found his attention drawn to the arts stemming off his own pasttime of writing poetry, leading him to acquire an arts degree. Not sure which direction to take, Spees went to work as a truck driver for Wal-Mart for some time to the surprise of many of his peers.
He eventually decided to act on the education he had received, leading to his position in teaching as well as a more extensive focus on his writing. Spees began submitting some of his work to various publications, which over time published his material more broadly. That led Spees to collect several of those works into a full-length chapbook, Michaelangelo’s Snowman, in 2006.
Spees now celebrates another important landmark in his writing career with the publication of his first full-length poetry collection this year, "Asleep in the Orchard Grass." That publication was the source for the readings Spees gave to the audience.
Spees hails from Hutchinson, where he currently works as an English faculty member for Hutchinson Community College. His son attends Hutchinson High School and he has a daughter living in New Mexico. Family has been one significant source of inspiration for Spees in his work.
Spees recalled stories of a day spent with his brother and trying to pass the tests posed by his ex-wife's father among others to preface some of the selections he read.
Spees told those gathered that many things can serve as inspiration for poetry, whether family and friends or things such as trains or coffee. The ability to reinterpret those in poetry is something he said depends on the talent of the individual writer.
John Jenkinson introduced Spees at the start of the evening, noting with the crowd in attendance that he was glad not only to see such a strong turnout, but a greater one still than ever which marks a trend for the series.
Following the half-hour presentation, Spees met with guests and also held a book signing.
El Dorado, Kan. —
