LaFrancis will give Memorial Day presentation at gallery

By Special to The Democrat | The Natchez Democrat

Published Friday, May 22, 2009

Natchez — Monday the United States will celebrate Memorial Day, which was first observed in 1868 by placing flowers on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.

The tradition of Memorial Day has continued over the years. Each May we honor those fallen in service to our country.

At 3 p.m. on Sunday at ArtsNatchez Gallery, located at 110 N. Union St., Mark LaFrancis will present “In Their Boots: Poems Inspired by Soldiers and Their Loved Ones.” “In Their Boots” is a multi-media presentation incorporating poetry, music, art and photography honoring those who served in Afghanistan and Iraq.

This program is a result of over one hundred hours of interviews of the soldiers and those who love them.

LaFrancis is now director of public information at Copiah-Lincoln Community College and also teaches journalism and broadcasting. He has served as managing editor of The Natchez Democrat and was a writer and editorof the Transcript-Telegram in Holyoke, Mass.

He has worked extensively in the creative writing field and has received numerous awards for his own publications and documentaries. In 2006, LaFrancis was selected as Mississippi Humanities Council Outstanding Educator for the collection of poems, “In Their Boots”. He is a retired veteran of the United States Air Force, United States Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.

The program will offer a unique visual presentation accompanied by poetic readings just in time for Memorial Day.

Autographed copies of “In Their Boots” will be for sale Sunday.