Former Poet Laureate of Virginia and St. Christopher's Writer-in-Residence Ron Smith was recently in Rome as a part of the X-Term cohort that traveled there. During the trip, Ron gave two special readings of his poetry.

The first was on March 9 at the Keats-Shelley House in Piazza Spagna, a museum located in the rooms where John Keats died tragically at the age of 25 in 1821. It's a sacred spot for poetry lovers.

The following day, Ron also gave a reading and hosted a Q & A at Villa Taverna, the official residence of the U.S. Ambassador to Italy. The audience was mainly university professors who teach American literature to Italian students--the perfect audience for his poems set in the city of Rome. 

Both readings were extremely well-received. 

On Thursday, March 23 at the American Civil War Museum, Ron will read the works of Whitman, Melville and their peers, accompanied by the works of American visual artists Elihu Vedder, Winslow Homer, and others. Read more about the event on the American Civil War Museum's website.