2026 Upcoming Events & Readings
*Join Mary in October & November as she reads from her new book:
Tara, The Healing Power of Nature.*
October
October 13th at 6:00 pm
Poetry Hickory
Where: A Tasteful of Beans Coffee and Tea, 29 2nd St. NW, Hickory, NC 28601
Open mic follows. Public is invited.
October 16th at 6:00 pm
Where: Narrative Bookstore, 104 Tennessee St., Murphy NC 28906
Public is invited.
November
November 11th at 10:30 am
Featured reader Coffee with Poets and Writers
Where: Moss Memorial Library, 26 Anderson St., Hayesville, NC 20904
Open mic follows. Public is invited.
November 12th at 5:30 pm
Where: Cherokee County Arts Council, 33 Valley River Ave, Murphy, NC 28906
Denise Gainey, Distinguished Professor of Music Emerita at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and past president of the International Clarinet Association, brought her internationally recognized artistry to the performance, creating a memorable evening of poetry and music.
If you were unable to attend, you can still experience this inspiring performance by watching the recording on YouTube. We hope this beautiful collaboration is just the beginning, as Shards of Hope is envisioned to become an annual event, bringing together poetry, music, and community for years to come.
Shards of Hope
On April 22, 2026, at 7:00 p.m., First United Methodist Church in Murphy, North Carolina, hosted a special evening celebrating the intersection of poetry and music.
Poet Mary Ricketson joined acclaimed clarinetist Denise Gainey, soprano Andrea Price, and pianist Helen Meacham in a performance of Shards of Hope, a song cycle for soprano, clarinet, and piano composed by Andrew Wilson of London, England.
The performance marked the inaugural presentation of this moving collaboration.
Throughout the evening, Mary shared selections from her poetry collections, Tall Flowers and Living Long and Shade and Shelter, offering audiences an intimate look into the works that inspired the musical composition.