American Poet Quincy Troupe at Bilkent
Earlier this month, Quincy Troupe, an American poet, author and editor, visited Bilkent institutions and met with students, teachers and professors. Mr. Troupe, who was initially invited to Bilkent Erzurum Laboratory School (BELS), expanded his visit to include Bilkent University and Bilkent Laboratory & International School (BLIS), as well as Atatürk University in Erzurum.
Mr. Troupe is an awarding-winning author of eight volumes of poetry, three children's books and six non-fiction works. He is a recipient of the American Book Award for Lifetime Literary Achievement, professor emeritus of the University of California, San Diego, and editor of Black Renaissance Noire, a literary journal of the Institute of Africana Studies at New York University. He has also received a Peabody Award and in 2002 became the first official California Poet Laureate. Currently, a film about Mr. Troupe is in development, and in May his biography of American basketball player Earl "The Pearl" Monroe will be released.
In Erzurum, Mr. Troupe spoke to BELS 9th- and 11th-grade students (as well as prep and 10th-grade students who asked to attend his talk) about the meaning and inspiration of poetry, after which students wrote their own creations. He also conducted a small workshop for high school poets, and discussed the meaning and teaching of poetry at a seminar with English teachers. During the weekly Friday assembly, Mr. Troupe read his poetry to all BELS students and teachers.
At BLIS, Mr. Troupe worked with high school students in several settings and read to middle school students. And at Bilkent University, he attended an American poetry class, where he lectured to the students on his views of poetry.