THE JOHN CLARE SOCIETY OF NORTH AMERICA
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The John Clare Society of North America is a non-profit literary organization devoted to the study, preservation, and publication of the works of John Clare. Born in 1793, John Clare was an English poet who lived mostly in rural Northamptonshire. His first published book, Poems Descriptive of Rural Life and Scenery (1820), evokes with elegiac melancholy the gradual disappearance of the common fields, marshes, and "waste" lands, and the extinction of an entire way of life in harmony with the natural cycles of the day, season, and year. Clare's poetic voice is more fully developed in his later collections of poetry, entitled The Village Minstrel (1821), The Shepherd's Calendar (1827), and The Rural Muse (1835). John Clare is now regarded as the most important English poet of the natural world.
You are cordially invited to join the John Clare Society of North America. Annual memberships are valid from August through July of the following year. Members receive all regular publications of the John Clare Society, including the annual John Clare Society Journal, the quarterly John Clare Society Newsletter, and the annual John Clare Society of North America Newsletter. How to Join the John Clare Society of North America
The John Clare Society of North America organizes an annual session at the Modern Language Association Convention. In March 2003 the Society organized its first international John Clare Conference in Baltimore, Maryland. Members receive regular updates on meetings and conferences organized by the Society. Photos from the John Clare Conference 2003
The cottage in Helpston, England in which John Clare was born, lived, and worked was temporarily secured in early October 2005 by the National Environment and Educational Trust. The aim, in close partnership with the John Clare Trust, the John Clare Society (U.K.), and other organizations, is to conserve the cottage and to establish a dynamic center for writing, education and environmental activities celebrating Clare’s legacy. The John Clare Society of North America is assisting in this effort by seeking contributions from donors who reside in the United States. Here is further information on the John Clare Cottage Appeal.
All income to the Society from dues and donations is used in direct support of its essential purposes: To promote the study of the works and life of John Clare; to promote the collection, preservation, and exchange of items of literary and biographical interest; to promote a wider appreciation of Clare and the continuing publication of his works; and to advocate the protection of Clare's countryside and to encourage rural education and sensitivity to rural landscapes.
Founded in 1997, the John Clare Society of North America is organized and operated exclusively for charitable, literary and educational purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent provided by law.
If you have questions about the John Clare Society of North America, please contact our main office: greenwriting@yahoo.com. The John Clare Society of North America is an autonomous affiliate of the John Clare Society, which is based in the U.K.
How to Join the John Clare Society of North America