Published poet, librarian and photographer to be featured speaker at HAC Coffee Talk on Sunday

HANNIBAL, Mo. — The Hannibal Arts Council, 105 S. Main, continues its popular Coffee Talk Conversation Series in July. The next program, titled “American Midwest” will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, July 28,

The program is free and open to the public. Program partners are: Wade Stables P.C. and the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency. 

The July speaker is Justin Hamm, a published poet, librarian and award-winning photographer. Hamm is the author of four books of poetry — “Drinking Guinness With the Dead: Poems 2007-2021,” “The Inheritance,” “American Ephemeral and “Lessons in Ruin” — and a book of photographs entitled Midwestern. He is also the creator of Poet Baseball Cards and the founding editor of the museum of americana.

Hamm delivered a performance in 2022 entitled “The American Midwest: a Story in Poems” at TEDx Oshkosh. Hamm’s poems, stories and reviews have appeared in many poetry anthologies and other publications, and his award-winning photographs have been featured in numerous solo gallery shows. Hamm works as an elementary librarian in Mexico, Mo., where he lives with his wife and their two daughters.

The Coffee Talk Conversation Series is designed to be relaxed, informal and informative.  Through the series, the Hannibal Arts Council presents community members speaking on various topics, including travel, history, health, food, well-being and art.