Anita Skeen & Laura DeLind’s launches a new collection of poems & linocuts, “Even the Least of These“ - Coming to EVERYbody Reads on June 1 @ 1 p.m.

On Saturday, June 1, at 1 p.m., Anita Skeen & Laura DeLind* are launching a new collection of poems & linocuts, *Even the Least of These,* at *Everybody Reads Bookstore, 2019 E. Michigan Ave, in Lansing.

The book is a collaboration between two talented friends—award-winning poet Anita Skeen & renowned printmaker Laura B. DeLind. Seeking to navigate the isolation and uncertainty of the covid-19 pandemic, they challenged each other’s ability to see the small things often neglected and unnoticed. The result is a thoughtful and often joyful collection of poems, each paired with a strikingly beautiful print that celebrates an awareness of the world around us and reflects on past experiences, lessons learned (or not).

Anita Skeen is Professor Emerita in the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities at Michigan State University, where she was the founding director of the RCAH Center for Poetry at MSU and is the Series Editor for Wheelbarrow Books. She is the author of 6 volumes of poetry, including *The Unauthorized Audubon (2014)*, a collection of poems about imaginary birds accompanied by the linocuts of visual artist Laura B. DeLind. Her poetry short fiction, and essays have appeared in numerous literary magazines and anthologies.

Laura B. DeLind is an anthropologist and visual artist who has specialized in linocuts for over 40 years. She is drawn to the medium because it is quite democratic in nature, yet also an extremely sophisticated and elegant art form. She is fascinated by black and white design and by organic shapes — often those found in her back yard. Her prints have been shown nationally and appear in public and private collections across the country. *Even the Least of These* is her 2nd collaboration with poet, Anita Skeen. Her work can be seen on her website: linocutsbylaurabdelind.squarespace.com