Readings Celebrate National Poetry Month

April 2012—All members of the campus community are invited to a celebration of National Poetry Month. Raynor Memorial Libraries and the Department of English are holding a reading by five faculty poets, who will read from their own poetry and other favorites, with musical entertainment. President Scott R. Pilarz, S.J., will introduce the event, as well as read a favorite poem. Light snacks and beverages will be available.

April 16 (Monday) 3:00 - 4:30 p.m.
Raynor Conference Center B/C

Standing left to right:

Dr. Angela Sorby, Associate Professor of English, will read selections from both new and published poems. Sorby has two published collections, Bird Skin Coat (2009) and Distance Learning (1998), and has been widely published in literary journals. Among her poetry awards are the Lorine Niedecker Prize, a Midwest Book Award for Poetry, and the Brittingham Prize.

Dr. Ed Block, Professor of English, will recite a few favorite poems he has "by heart," as well as a favorite poem or two by Denise Levertov, closing with a couple of his own poems, published—or about to be published—in Lake Country Journal.

Dr. Ryan Jerving, Visiting Assistant Professor, will be reading work from his never-to-be-completed poem-by-poem response to Muriel Rukeyser's 1938 collection, The Book of the Dead, as well as rhyming, stealing, and in other ways presenting examples of the constructivist songwriting craft. Some of his work with The Viper and His Famous Orchestra can be heard on two All Wrote Records recordings, A Song for All Seasons and Everything for Everyone.

Seated, front:

Dr. Tyler Farrell, Adjunct Professor of English, will read some new poems from his just-published The Land of Give and Take (Salmon Poetry, 2012). His earlier collection, Tethered to the Earth, was published in 2008. Many of his poems deal with issues of age, religion, life, contemplation—told through the perspective of other characters. Farrell grew up in Milwaukee and went to Marquette University High School, Creighton University, and UW-Milwaukee.

Dr. Larry Watson, Visiting Professor of English, will read recently written poems. Watson has taught creative writing at colleges and universities for more than 30 years and while he writes primarily fiction, he has published poetry over the years in such magazines as The Gettysburg Review, New England Review, and The Indiana Review. He recently published his seventh novel, American Boy (Milkweed Editions, 2011).

Lower right

Marquette University President Scott R. Pilarz, S. J. celebrates National Poetry Month by reading The Poems of Robert Southwell, S.J., edited by James H. McDonald and Nancy Pollard Brown (Oxford University Press, 1967).

Looking for poetry? See the Libraries' poetry resource guide for a list of free online poetry collections.

Throughout the month of April, an exhibit near Raynor's entrance features works of poetry.