Baileys Harbor Economist Featured in Dickinson Poetry Series

Tom Toerpe will present his award-winning poetry as the featured poet October 14, 7 pm, at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Door County (UUFDC), Ephraim.

Toerpe draws on the traditions of English poetry, including limericks, ballads, sonnets, and free verse, but emphasizes effective, modern storytelling and topics of current interest. Toerpe will read several poems, including “The Ghost-Dog of Ellison Bay,” “Richard Fuld on Sixth Avenue,” and selections from “Translations from the Portuguese,” as well as some shorter pieces. His work has appeared in a variety of publications including Peninsula Pulse, Wisconsin People and Ideas, Thema, Exquisite Corpse and Harp-Strings. He was the 2006 Lehman Prize winner from the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters; and was recognized in two Hal Grutzmacher competitions (Peninsula Pulse) and the Helen Shaible Shakespearean/Petrarchan Sonnet Contest (Chicago Poets Society).

An alumnus of Marquette University and the Kellogg School of Management, Toerpe manages interest rate derivatives for a Midwest financial institution. He frequently speaks to business groups about the economy and financial markets and has published several articles on these topics.

Toerpe lives in Baileys Harbor with his wife and family, a chaotic household consisting of a teacher, a Cubs fan, an artist, a shortstop, a flutist, a budding chef, a crafter, and a turtle named Louie.

The Emily Dickinson Poetry Series is held on the second Wednesday of each month at 7 pm. The event features a local poet reading from her/his own work followed by an “open-mic.” The evening closes with the featured poet reading again. A reception follows to allow opportunity for discussion of the poems. All readings are free, open to the public and held at the Fellowship, 10341 Water Street (Hwy. 42) on the north side of Ephraim. The featured poets for the next UUFDC Dickinson event, November 11, are Gerri Friedberg and Anita Beckstrom. For more information, visit http://www.uufdc.org.