Community Events

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Trilogy Poet, Joseph Spence, Sr., and members of LEABHAR MÓR: The Great Book of Gaelic Poetry. The Leabhar Mór exhibit consist of 100 original art works created to celebrate the 1500 year-old unbroken tradition of Gaelic poetry.  The Gaelic language has the oldest written literature in Western Europe, predating Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and French works, and remains a living literary tradition to this day. The exhibit made its only stop in the United States at the University of Wisconsin before returning to Scotland (October 2008).

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Trilogy Poet Joseph S. Spence, Sr., with Milwaukee Poet Laureate, Susan Firer (l), Associate Professor of English, University of Milwaukee-Wisconsin.  Joseph has an autographed copy of Professor Firer’s Poetry CD.  This picture was taken during The Great Book of Gaelic Poetry presentation at The Golda Meir Library, University of Milwaukee-Wisconsin where Professor Firer was a reader of the Gaelic Poetry verses (October 2008).

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Trilogy Poet Joseph S. Spence, Sr., and Paula Kiley (r), director, City of Milwaukee Library, stopped for a picture at the main downtown library on Wisconsin Avenue.  The event commemorated the book, Trilogy Moments for the Mind, Body and Soul, which has the new Epulaeryu poetry form to be a part of the Milwaukee County Library System for the public to read and enjoy the prose and poetry.  This is the second Trilogy Poetry book to be included in the library system for Milwaukee County. The first was A Trilogy of Poetry, Prose and Thoughts for the Mind, Body and Soul (October 2008).

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Trilogy Poet Joseph Spence, Sr., with Ellen Elder (c), University of Wisconsin English (Poetry) Professor, and Adam Werlein (r), UWM Poetry Student and Poetry Slam Artist. Spence made a presentation on Claude McKay, the famous Jamaica poet from the Harlem Renaissance to Professor Elder’s class. McKay is listed in the Caribbean Hall of Fame, has written many books, and his poem “If We Must Die” was recited by Sir Winston Church Hill, Prime Minister of England to rally support against Nazi Germany during WWII.  Werlein made a presentation on Buddy Wakefield, the two-time Individual World Poetry Slam Champion, who was featured on NPR, the BBC, HBO’s Def Poetry Jam, and signed to Strange Famous Records (November 2008).

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Trilogy Poet Joseph Spence, along with Jean Bills (l), President, Milwaukee Celtic Women Conference, and Internationally famed Irish Singer, Fiona Molloy(r). The group posed for this photograph during a performance at the Irish Pub, Milwaukee, by Molloy.  Joseph recited his famous poem “If We Must Die” during the event and performed one stanza of a song  with Molloy who will lead a group tour to Ireland, her home land in April 2008 for members of the community (December 2008).

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Trilogy Poet, Joseph Spence, Sr.(c),  Dr. Doreatha Mbalia, assistant professor of Africology at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee(l), and Prophetess Vera Nathaniel, Pastor, President/CEO & Founder of  Spirit of Truth Ministries International (r).  The group posed for this photograph after Spence recited, and gave a historical and contemporary analysis of his signature poem, “If We Must Die,” which is dedicated to Claude McKay and the Harlem Renaissance. Prophetess Nathaniel also delivered an analysis on the song “Influence of Hip-Hop Music” (December 2008).

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Trilogy Poets and Kodo Drummer

Trilogy poet, Joseph Spence, Sr., with Kodo Drummer after obtaining an autographed copy of their DVD. The Kodo Drummers, who are from Japan, gave an awesome performance at the Riverside Theater during their tour across America.  This was a wonderful and relaxing event which stimulated the hearts and souls of many.  Various standing ovations were rendered.  (February 2009).

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Trilogy Poet Joseph Spence, Sr., with Japanese Cultural Discussion Group Students Attending The University of Milwaukee-Wisconsin.  Spence conducted a session on haiku poetry for the students at the Department of Foreign Language Studies.  The session covered the major haiku poets from Japan, historical development of haiku, and a practical session on writing haiku poems. The session was well attended and the students actively participated (February 2009).

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Trilogy Poet Joseph Spence, Sr., with fellow members of the St. Andrews Scottish Society.  Spence paternal great, great grandparents are from Scotland, and identify with members of the organization of his ancestral heritage. Spence celebrated the day with members of the organization for the birthday of Robert Burns, world renowned poet from Alloway, Scotland.

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Trilogy Poet, Joseph S. Spence, Sr., with National Buddhist Lecturer, Professor Emerita Rita Gross, who presented a lecture of The Four Noble Truth.  Spence received Gross’s book on Buddhism, entitled A garland of feminist reflections: Forty years of Religious Exploration.  Rita Gross is Professor Emerita of Comparative Studies in Religion at the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire, She is the author and editor of many books, including Feminism and Religion: An Introduction; Buddhism after Patriarchy; A Feminist History, Analysis, and Reconstruction of Buddhism; and (with Rosemary Radford Ruether) Religious Feminism and the Future of the Planet; A Buddhist Christian Conversation (April 2009).

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Professor William Rogers, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Africology Department Instructor discussing with Joseph Spence his recently published book, The Awakened One Poetics.  Professor Rogers teaches a variety of classes in the Africology Department and is a well known advocate for religious affairs in the Wisconsin community.

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Louise Ratzel, student of Africology and the study of African Religion at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.  Louise recently acquired a copy of Joseph Spence’s Haiku Poetry Book, The Awakened one Poetics for her reading pleasure.  She was the first one in the class to acquire a copy and is proud of her acquisition.

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