Farmers Night: The Poetry of a Place & Its People

In the 1970’s, writer David Budbill—a recent arrival to Wolcott, Vermont—was inspired by his own working-class background to shine a light on the lives of his new neighbors who were, in turns, beautiful, ingenious, struggling to survive, and completely overlooked by the powers that be.

These poems became Judevine, a raucous, moving, and plain language collection that resonates to this day with its enduring themes of rural poverty, injustice, and economic and social struggle. Presented by Nadine Budbill (David’s daughter and Literary Executor) this talk introduces David and his work, followed by a selection of his evocative and timeless poems.

In this special Farmers’ Night program, join David Budbill’s daughter and literary executor Nadine Budbill—along with actors Abby Paige and Mark S. Roberts—for a dramatic reading and discussion of the poetry that became David Budbill’s Judevine at the Vermont State House.

Presented by Vermont Humanities.