NEWS RELEASE

As part of the Frank X Walker Creative Arts Festival the week of Oct. 16-20, Frank X Walker visited students from Danville High School, John W. Bate Middle School, Edna L. Toliver Intermediate School and Mary G. Hogsett Primary School.

Among his many talents, Walker is a poet, professor, playwright and artist. He became the first African-American Kentucky Poet Laureate in 2013.

A DHS graduate himself, he gave Artist Talks for DHS and Bate students on Tuesday and read his children’s book, “A is for Affrilachia,” for students at Toliver and Hogsett on Wednesday.

The Artist Talks consisted of Walker discussing his work, how he blends art forms like poetry and visual art, and how he focuses on history in much of his art, especially Kentucky history.

During his Artist Talks, Walker talked about African-American history, Kentucky history, and his own personal and family history.

“A is for Affrilachia,” which he read sections of for grades 1-5, is his first children’s book. He has published a total of 13 books.

A couple of other festival events took place on Tuesday evening at the Boyle County Public Library and were open to the public: a Young Adult Poetry Workshop and the Frank X Walker Visual Art Exhibit Opening Reception.

The Frank X Walker Visual Art Exhibit is now on display at the Boyle County Public Library.