A native Maryland poet recited his poems about the history of the state to AACC on Feb. 9.

“Poetry readings are weird,” began Adam Tavel’s introduction to his third poem. “For a long time, I thought it was the poet’s fault, but I’ve come to think poetry readings are marvelous and good, and it’s everything else that’s strange.”

Tavel recited his poems for an hour, reciting his extensive work based on the history of Maryland, his interpretations of historical people and his experiences in life.

“It was a powerful way of looking at history,” said Austin Visk, a sophomore transfer studies major. “From slavery and the civil war to now, it’s important that we don’t forget our history, and poetry is a way to reawaken us.”

Tavel is a Maryland native, and much of his work reflects on the history of the state and how it has affected the modern-day Eastern Shore, where he teaches at Wor-Wic Community College.

Tavel said he enjoys teaching and performing at community colleges more than elsewhere, saying that students are “often a little bit more worldly, a little bit more eager to engage and participate, and sometimes have a more pragmatic outlook sometimes — they realize that the classroom and the real world are actually part of the same world.”

Eli Jacobs, the sophomore creative writing major that introduced Mr. Tavel, said that learning the context to each of his poems was eye-opening.

“His grasp of imagery and language is fantastic,” she said. “Hearing him go into detail on what inspired each one — he knows what he’s talking about.”