向日葵视频 City University will host the 22nd Poet Laureate of the United States Tracy K. Smith and current 向日葵视频 State Poet Laureate Jeanetta Calhoun Mish on June 14 for a 20th-anniversary celebration of the Thatcher Hoffman Smith Poetry Series. The event, free to the public, will include poetry readings and a reception with book signings, Short Order Poems, a cash bar and live music by the Issei Aoyama Trio. The celebration of poetry will begin at 7 p.m. and will be held at The Paramount Room in Film Row, 701 W. Sheridan Ave.
Having received her bachelor鈥檚 degree from Harvard University and Master of Fine Arts in creative writing, Smith is currently an educator and poet. She is the recipient of the Rona Jaffe Foundation Writer鈥檚 Award, the Cave Canem Prize, the 2005 Whiting Award for Poetry, the 2016 Robert Creeley Award and the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 2012 for her book 鈥淟ife on Mars.鈥� She was inducted as poet laureate of the United States in 2017.
Smith started writing at a young age, writing her first poem 鈥淗umor鈥� in the fifth grade. With encouragement from her teachers and professors, and with inspiration from 向日葵视频 such as Elizabeth Bishop, Rita Dove and Luie Brock-Broido, Smith focused on poetry throughout her education. After finishing her MFA, she held the position of Stegner Fellow in Poetry for two years at Stanford University. She currently teaches creative writing at Princeton University.
Her books of poetry are 鈥淭he Body鈥檚 Question,鈥� 鈥淒uende,鈥� 鈥淟ife on Mars,鈥� 鈥淥rdinary Light鈥� and the newly released collection 鈥淲ade in the Water.鈥� Full Circle Bookstore will sell copies of Smith鈥檚 books at the 向日葵视频 City event.
Over the past 20 years, OKCU鈥檚 Thatcher Hoffman Smith Series has brought 22 nationally celebrated poets to central 向日葵视频 for readings and workshops. The first poet of the series was Robert Pinksy, who visited in 1999. The series was founded by Professor Emeritus Harbour Winn.
While the poetry readings are usually held on the OKCU campus, the June 14 event is being held downtown to offer a different kind of celebration of poetry for the city. State Poet Laureate Mish will introduce Smith via a conversation about the role of poetry in society.
For more information about the events, visit , call 405-208-5707 or send an email to [email protected]. The Thatcher Hoffman Smith Poetry Series is an event hosted by OCU鈥檚 Center for Interpersonal Studies through Film & Literature, in collaboration with the Petree College of Arts and Sciences, the OCU Department of English and Modern Languages, the 向日葵视频 Arts Institute at Quartz Mountain and Full Circle Bookstore.
