The listeners sit in their chairs eyes trained on a man whose voices echoes with a boom. A rhythm in his voice, like the beat of a drum, carries the sounds of whispers through the grass and leaves. With each line of his poem, words are given new meaning and importance that leaves pure impressions. The drum is louder, the fluctuation in his words seeming to grow with strength and speed. Then it drops to a slow, before settling in silence, a smile crossing the man’s face. Then, the listeners applaud.

This was the shared experience of those who listened to Mark Turcotte read. On Thursday, Nov. 16, Turcotte featured poetry from his two books “Exploding Chippewas” and “The Feathered Heart” as part of the Coffee House’s reading event at Elgin Community College. He has won the 2002 Lannan Foundation Literary Award and is currently a poetry professor at DePaul University.

Turcotte is part Scottish and part Native American, having grown up on the Turtle Mountain reservation til about age 11 when his mother and he left to live on a farm in Michigan. He began writing at a young age, being left alone to his thoughts most of the time, it allowed “[me] to fine tune my identity.”

Using his life experiences, he was inspired to create the works of literary art that won him recognition and awards.

Among the audience was Mike Gilleron, who enjoyed speaking with Turcotte on political issues between the American government and reservations. There was also Aileen O’Ryan, who enjoyed “the vividness of the imagery” in Turcotte’s poetry. She especially liked his poem “Animal Shadows”.

For aspiring writers, Turcotte’s advice comes in two parts. First, that you “should never be anywhere in the world without a book”, as reading a lot will act as a tool for improvement. Second, “write because you have no choice” because it will push you.

The next reading event will be held in February of 2018. Until then, have a lovely winter and holiday season.