Roundup: Wilcher returns, a poetic controversy, new leadership for IndyBaroque, more

—Popular local actress Claire Wilcher has returned to Indy from her 13,800-mile RV trek around the country in which she performed at every ComedySportz theater in the U.S. 

—IndyBaroque Music Inc., parent organization for the Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra and Ensemble Voltaire, has hired Laura C. Barcelo as its new executive director. 

—This year's Heartland Film Festival will include pre-release screenings of the Hollywood films "The 33," a drama starring Antonio Banderas focusing on the Chilean mine collapse, and the Hank Williams biopic "I Saw the Light."

—For the first time, the Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition will hold preliminaries in North America. The November keyboard battles will take place at Ball State University. 

—It’s not easy for a poet to get attention these days. But Fort Wayne’s Michael Derrick Hudson has in literary circles. The issue: After having his poem “The Bees, the Flowers, Jesus, Ancient Tigers, Poseidon, Adam and Eve” rejected by 40 publications, Hudson began submitting it under the name Yi-fen Chou. Whether the new name made a difference is impossible to tell, but it was picked up by the literary journal Prairie Schooner. Best American Poetry editor Sherman Alexie then selected it for inclusion in the prestigious annual anthology. When asked for bio info, Hudson explained who he was and, after much deliberation, Alexie opted to accept the poem anyway, believing that cutting the poem would have cast doubt on his other selections. Critics cried “yellowface,” accusing Hudson of pretending to be Chinese in order to attract more attention to the poem (which is not culturally specific) and literary folks around the country chimed in with often volatile opinions. Tweeted Alexie: “I’m exhausted by the Best American Poetry mess, but wow, how cool that so many people are crazy-passionate about poems.”

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