Todd Davis in the News Review

Okay, who’s ready for a little poetry? Did I say ‘a little’? I meant plenty of good poetry to go around. To begin, in search of the divine in the daily, the selections in “Native Species” from Todd Davis, professor of environmental studies and creative writing at Penn State University...

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Cristina Eisenberg in Prescott College Article

Original webpage here             April 04, 2019 – By Prescott College Recognized As Distinguished Alumna At Oregon State University Dr. Cristina Eisenberg has accomplished many things since attending Prescott College. She is the Ecologist and Chief Scientist with Earthwatch Institute, she published a book based on her...

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Sundress Announces the Release of Leah Silvieus’ Collection, Arabilis

Sundress Publications announces the pre-release of Leah Silvieus’ collection, Arabilis. Through detailing her experiences with nature, religion, and violence, Silvieus finds that their underlying connections reveal much that goes unsaid. $1 from every pre-order goes in support of scholarships to the Tin House Summer Workshop that benefit immigrant writers, formerly incarcerated writers, or graphic narrative writers...

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Austin Smith in “On The Seawall”

The Greenhouse   So this is paradise, I would think When, in late winter, we stepped out Of winter and into spring.   The greenhouse was glorious, But it was a rushed, undeserved glory. To go in was to be catapulted   A month ahead and to leave The overwintering land...

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“Carrying Off the Ravens” Lauren Camp

Carrying Off the Ravens Lauren Camp Our quick jackets thrown against dust and we’re out to a patio, gradually looking at trees. I have two hours to teach these five young womento glory their woes and measure their blessings. We’ve left behind winter’s wide cobwebs and ditches. The lass next...

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Metta Sama’s New Book of Poetry!

BEI Senior Fellow, Metta Sama, has new book of poetry is now available for pre-order! Swing at your own risk, structurally designed to swing from one subject to the next, from one lyric utterance to the next, concerns itself with unpacking myths of gender, race, sexuality and violence (specifically myths of...

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Lauren Camp in Thrush Poetry Journal

Lauren Camp ​  Marrow A ship in the bay. Stomped grass, all bluff against salt-moaned land. The delicate line true   to a faltering, a history. Beneath sun-clawed clouds, I kneel   to read the lugging claim of sand: tithing. The line never spills its significant ways, never lies  ...

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Black Earth Institute is Hiring!

We are offering 2 summer internships at Brigit Rest, 20 acres perched high on a ridge 30 miles west of Madison out in the beautiful Driftless Area of Wisconsin.  If you are interested in working on land with a large organic garden, vineyard, small orchard, many acres of prairie and...

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Metta Sáma in Poetry Mini Interviews

Metta Sáma, BEI Senior Fellow, did a two-part poetry mini-interview series! Click here for the original link. Part One Metta Sáma is author of Swing at your own risk(forthcoming Kelsey St. Press), the year we turned dragon (Portable Press @ Yo-Yo Labs), le animal & other creatures (Miel), After After/After “Sleeping to Dream” (Nous-zōt Press) and the web-book, Nocturne Trio (YesYes...

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Linda Hogan’s New Essay in Emergence Magazine

Linda Hogan, BEI Emeritus Fellow, newest essay, “Ancient Root” was recently published in Emergence Magazine. Click here for the original essay or read below! Ancient Root by Linda Hogan For Linda Hogan, hope lives where faith has fallen away. During an encounter with caged elephants, she experiences a wave of profound and startling love...

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Liam Heneghan in the Daily Campus!

Check out the newest review of Liam Heneghan’s, BEI Scholar, book Beasts at Bedtime! Click here for the original post. Children’s literature as a natural wonder: How books introduce young readers to the environment By Stephanie Santillo There are two ways in which humans view the environment according to Dr. Liam Heneghan...

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Patricia Spears Jones in Audio Roundup

Audio Roundup: Black Poets Honoring Black Poets Posted Feb 19, 2019 In honor of Black History Month, Poets House invites you to spend some time listening to black poets who have spoken on the work and legacy of other black poets as part of our long-running Passwords program series. Here are...

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Boys and Oil by Taylor Brorby

Boys and Oil 1. We play army at Tyler’s birthday party. Cream the Carrier, Smear the Queer, King of the Hill—games boys on the prairie play to the swoosh of grass in afternoon heat. Something in the land pulls us towards violence. We tackle our friends, drive our hollow boned...

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Marcella Durand in Contemporary Poetry Post

Recently, BEI Emeritus Fellow, Marcella Durand was featured in a blog post by Contemporary Poetry: A Site for All Things Poetry, Language, and Culture. Read the post below or go to the original page here. Marcella Durand I was reading the Durand handouts tonight, and I realized we don’t have...

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Lauren Camp in The Las Angeles Review

OPEN HEART BY LAUREN CAMP His scar made him unlike the men who took me to begging, to bowling alleys on motorcycles, who threw off their boots to the corners. He had no last excuses. Our desert habitat juggled a thicket of cotton and spread flat or fluttered. We’d larked...

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Mary Swander in HuffingtonPost

Mary Swander and her play Vang  (which BEI is bringing to Madison on April 19th, 2019) were recently featured in the Huff post! Read the article below or go to the original article here. Iowa Laureate’s “Vang” Play Showcases Immigrant Farmers: Interview with Mary Swander In a week of turmoil over...

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Brenda Peterson on Pets & Wildlife PODCASTS

Brenda Peterson, BEI Emeritus Fellow, recently aired a podcast on Mrs. Green’s World: Pets & Wildlife Podcasts entitled “Wolf Nation: The Life, Death, and Return of Wild American Wolves”. Listen Here! From childhood stories like Peter and the Wolf, to groundbreaking documentaries like Jamie and Jim Dutcher’s Living with Wolves, to the powerful...

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Sparrows In Winter

by Liam Heneghan The traffic had been slow all day but by four pm, it was reduced to a trickle. Those cars that passed him on the street did so in two and threes as if they were sticking together for safety like lumbering animals caught out in a storm....

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Linda Hogan Libretto Featured in “Fire and Light”

Linda Hogan recently had a Libretto featured in “Fire and Light” by Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate. Here are the interviews from this performance. For photos and videos of the event, click here. ‘Fire and Light’: OKC Philharmonic to perform work by local Chickasaw classical composer Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate believes his music...

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Lauren Camp On KWGS 89.5

Lauren Camp, BEI Senior Fellow, recently was on Studio Tulsa with Rich Fisher, listen here! Lauren Camp, whose books include “One Hundred Hungers” (winner of the Dorset Prize and a finalist for the Arab American Book Award) and “Turquoise Door.” Last year, Camp presented her poems on dementia at the...

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Petra Kuppers Recieved Grant for Think Act Tank: Embodiment and Environmental Art Practice

Petra Kuppers, BEI Fellow, just received an additional grant from NCID (National Center for Institutional Diversity) for her project “Think Act Tank: Embodiment and Environmental Art Practice” of $15,000. “This Think Act Tank lies at the conjunctions of ecopoetics, disability studies, critical race studies, indigenous studies, and environmental studies. We...

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D.J. Lee’s Essay Published in Washington State Magazine

D.J. Lee, BEI Scholar, recently wrote an essay on the Svalbard ice cores, a long-ago research trip to Oxford, with her companion artist Caroline Landau. The essay was published in both print and digital. Read the original essay here! “I love this one, it’s so clear and beautiful,” Caroline says, holding a football-sized...

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International Welsh Poetry Competition 2019 Live!

Welsh Poetry Competition How many people know that the world-famous International Welsh Poetry Competition began life in a small, independent pub, tucked away down a quiet side street in Pontypridd?  Founded by Welsh poet Dave Lewis in 2007 the contest has been run and organized from the town ever since,...

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Liam Heneghan Publishes New Fiction

Liam Heneghan, BEI Scholar, recently wrote his first fiction piece-published first on the Irish Times Website- read it below or here from the original. Memories of Irish Birdsong 1. My mother once saw the chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs; in Irish: “Rí Rua”) take a shit on Grafton Street and she scolded...

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Linda Hogan’s “Lowak Shoppala” to be Performed in Oklahoma City

Linda Hogan, BEI Emeritus Fellow, is one of the three composers of “Lowak Shoppala’, including Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate and Margaret Roach Wheeler. Here is the original article by Tony Choate. The Oklahoma City Philharmonic will perform a work by Chickasaw classical composer Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate, Feb. 16 at the Oklahoma City Civic Center Music...

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Melissa Tuckey New Poet Laureate

Melissa Tuckey, BEI Fellow and Co-Editor of About Place Journal’s Roots + Resistance, recently became the New Poet Laureate for Tomkins County. Read this new article about her and her agenda by Ithica.com After serving as the Tompkins County poet laureate, Zee Zahava’s time has come to an end. Her...

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New Review of Ann Fisher-Wirth’s Mississippi

Poetry Flash, an online publication that reviews poetry, did a review on Senior Fellow Ann Fisher-Wirth’s book of poetry Mississippi. The review, written by Iris Jamahl Dunkle is below. Here is the link to the original article.  TERRY TEMPEST WILLIAMS WRITES in her breakthrough essay, “The Open Space of Democracy,” when we...

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Annie Finch’s Poem on New Coffee Shop’s Walls

Sitwell’s Coffee House, once a staple location for Ludlow locals, shut its doors in January 2018. Not quite a year later, the shop reopened with new management and a new name. Sitwell’s Act II is back, and it looks better than ever. Annie Finch’s, BEI Fellow, poem Reverly is written over the...

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Ancient Dreamer by Elizabeth Cunningham

Elizabeth Cunningham, BEI Emeritus Fellow, recently wrote a piece on feminism and religion. Read the original article here.  The poems below are excerpted from my new (I hope forthcoming) collection, Tell Me the Story Again.Ancient dreamer’s voice is one among many voices including sorrow singer, temple sweeper, sword woman, morose fool, merry...

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Lauren Camp on “Exceptional Poetry From Around the Web: January 2019” List

Lauren Camp, BEI Senior Fellow, made Frontier Poetry’s: Exceptional Poetry From Around the Web: January 2019 list! Evidence of Tenderness by Lauren Camp in DIAGRAM Have you seen                 how a dried bud moves in invisible wind, or the pliant and clasping, a beginning of sunlight, the milk and honey of sand drifts,...

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Lauren Camp in Crazyhorse Literary Journal

Lauren Camp, Senior BEI Fellow, recently had one of her poems, “Our Beginning and Our End,” (The first poem in her new book Turquoise Door), be featured in the newest issue of Crazyhorse Literary Journal. Her poem is nestled between wonderful work by Shane McCrae,Jessica Jacobs, Kai Carlson-Wee and others. Edited by Emily Rosko.

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Regie Gibson at Cary Library

Regie Gibson, BEI Emeritus Fellow, recently performed at Cary Library’s: Library After Dark where he inspired the audience. This is a series is one of Cary Library’s many to cultural programs. For the original article. For 150 years, Cary Library has been enriching the lives of Lexington residents. The library...

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Lauren Camp in Oxidant | Engine

Lauren Camp has been busy lately! She recently had a poem published in Oxidant | Engine: Issue 7. Here is the poem- No Defense, No Readiness This season of lost resolve, of moon ovals lengthening toward tender land. The weather of sudden braking— all we know is a badly adorned...

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“Curio” a Short Story by Austin Smith

Austin Smith, BEI Fellow, had his short story, “Curio”, published by On the Seawall. On the Seawall published poems, short stories, and other works by many authors. For the original article. And then there it was, what the boy had been looking for. He hadn’t known what it would be, only...

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Lauren Camp in World Literature Today

Lauren Camp, Senior BEI Fellow, newest book of poetry, Turquoise Door: Finding Mabel Dodge Luhan in New Mexico by Lauren Camp, was recently reviewed by World Literature Today. Lauren said the review beautifully asses what she was trying to do with the book. Poet Lauren Camp takes us for a deep dive into the...

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Regie Gibson in The Boston Globe

Recently, The Boston Globe did an article featuring BEI Emeritus Fellow, Regie Gibson! They discuss Regie’s poetry, style, and making a living as being a poet. Check out the article below written by Cindy Atoji Keene. “I was born in the Delta where the heat is swelter. I am the blues.” — REGIE GIBSON...

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Lauren Camp in New Book of Poetry

Lauren Camp, BEI Senior Fellow, is one of the featured poets with work in the new book of poetry, Missing Persons: Reflections on Dementia. Beatlick Press is happy to announce the launch of their first book dealing with the diseases of dementia, Missing Persons. Included in this volume are poems...

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Patricia Spears-Jones in The New Yorker

Patricia Spears-Jones, Senior BEI Fellow, was featured in The New Yorker’s “Our Year in Poems”. For the list of the other poems. Here is her poem Seraphim Once a beauty, full figured, beloved And then a fever, sweats, water vomited Until the body gave out. And then, Wings and lyres...

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Lauren Camp Gives Dorset Prize Tips

Lauren Camp, BEI Senior Fellow, was asked by Tupelo Press to give some tips about winning the Dorset Prize and completing your manuscript. Lauren won in 2014. Spanish poet Antonio Machado wrote, “… there is no path, paths are made by walking.” In your manuscript, have you dared? Have you...

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Austin Smith Featured in The New York Times

Austin Smith, BEI Fellow, was recently featured in a New York Times article, “In Recent Poetry Collections, Weapons Made of Words” by Stephanie Burt. The article talks about Austin’s new book of poetry Flyover Country. Copies of Flyover Country can be found here.  The quiet rural boys and men of...

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Ann Fisher-Wirth Joining Longleaf Writers Conference Faculty

Ann Fisher-Wirth, a BEI Senior Fellow, has recently joined the faculty of the Longleaf Writers Conference. She will be leading a poetry workshop along with Brian Turner. Below is information about the Longleaf Writers Conference. The Longleaf Writers Conference @Seaside, Florida (formerly Seaside Writers Conference), is pleased to announce our...

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Patricia Spears Jones Opens the Ocean State Review

Patricia Spears Jones, Senior BEI Fellow, opens the latest issue of the Ocean State Review with two of her original poems. Poem “On Roland Barthe’s Birthday” was inspired by a tweet Wayne Koestenbaum. This is the first time Patricia’s first time being the first work up in a journal.  

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Ann Fisher-Wirth Publishing New Collection of Poetry

Ann Fisher-Wirth, BEI Senior Fellow, Professor, and new author of The Bones of Winter Birds. Ann’s new collection of poetry is published by Terrapin Books, A Poetry Press. The Bones of Winter Birds is a book of belonging and of seeking, ribboned through with the copious steamy heat of the South and...

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Black Earth Institute Needs Your Support

Dear Friends of Black Earth Institute, We need your support to continue. The Black Earth Institute supports artists and art much needed in our troubled times. Now in our fourteenth year, BEI was founded by my late wife, Patricia Monaghan, and me to have art serve the areas of spirit,...

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2018 Pushcart Nominations

The Black Earth Institute and the About Place Journal are nominating six pieces to The Pushcart Prize: The Best of Small Presses. Three pieces were nominated from the May 2018 issue of About Place Journal, Rewilding, by editor Tammy Gomez. The other three prices were nominated from the October 2018 issue,...

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Regie Gibson Paying Tribute to Diana Der Hovanessian

Poet and BEI Emeritus Fellow, Regie Gibson helped to pay tribute to poet Diana Der Hovanessian. For link to original article. ARLINGTON, Mass. — On the afternoon of November 4, the award-winning late poet Diana Der Hovanessian was feted at the Armenian Cultural Foundation (ACF) by an enthusiastic audience of...

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Austin Smith in The Washington Post

Austin Smith’s new book of poetry, Flyover Country, was recently featured in The Washington Post. The article is featured below or for the link to the original. Five New Books Of Poetry Explore the American Experience, For Better or Worse Flyover Country “Flyover Country” (Princeton), by Austin Smith is a marvelous...

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Kathleen Sweeney Digital Mindfulness

Kathleen Sweeney, BEI Emeritus Fellow, had an article published by the Garrison Institute. The article is about Digital Mindfulness. Below is the article, for the link to the original click here. Digital Mindfulness Slow Media in a Fast Media Landscape By Kathleen Sweeney Digital Culture, Digital Media What are we...

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Liam Heneghan in AEON

Liam Heneghan, BEI Scholar, recently had his work published on AEON. Check out his piece below or on the AEON Website. Liam is professor and chair of environmental science and studies at DePaul University in Chicago. He is a Scholar Advisor at the Black Earth Institute. His latest book, Beasts at...

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Austin Smith in The Michigan Daily

Austin Smith has been receiving a lot of attention for his new book of poetry, Flyover Country. A new collection about violence and the rural Midwest from a poet whose first book was hailed as “memorable” (Stephen Burt, Yale Review) and “impressive” (Chicago Tribune).  Recently, The Michigan Daily wrote this article about...

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Austin Smith Featured on NPR’s Here & Now

Austin Smith, one of our newest fellows, was featured on NPR’s Here & Now segment November 1st. The interview focused on his newest book of poetry Flyover Country. Austin’s poems challenge misconceptions about the Midwest and what he calls the “carelessness” of drone warfare. Austin discusses Flyover Country with Here...

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Ann Fisher-Worth Reads Poetry By Native American Authors with Students

Ann Fisher-Worth, BEI Emeritus Fellow, faculty, and students gathered together at an event “Itimanupoli” to read poetry by Native American authors. “Itimanupoli” is the Choctaw word meaning “to converse”. The event was organized by Caroline Wigginton, associate professor of English and director of undergraduate studies for the department, as a way...

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Liam Heneghan Connecting with Readers

Recently Liam Heneghan, BEI Scholar, was reviewed in a reader’s blog. Liam loves the fact he is able to connect with readers. Below is the post written by sunnyjimmy about Beasts at Bedtime. “You will know what it is to have been wild, and you will know what it is to...

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Patricia Spears Jones on Black Feminist Poets

Recently, Patricia Spears Jones, BEI Emeritus Fellow, was featured in an article in Poets & Writers about “Black Feminist Poets and the death of Tony Hoagland”. “We need to think about power just a bit differently. What happens when we have that power — when our ideas, our programs, our voices are...

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Liam Heneghan Featured in Tech News Article

Liam Heneghan, one of BEI’s Senior Resident Advisors, recently had an article written about him for TechNews. Here is part of the article: “An ecosystem ecologist at DePaul University, as well as the co-director for DePaul University’s Institute for Nature and Culture, Liam Heneghan presented as a guest speaker at...

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Lauren Camp Featured in “The Taos News”

Lauren Camp released her fourth book Turquoise Door: Finding Mabel Dodge Luhan in New Mexico. With the release of this book, Lauren has a slew of events planned and recently did a reading at the Mabel Dodge Luhan House to kick them off. The Taos News wrote this article to...

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2018 Annual Brigit Rest Retreat

Every year, the Black Earth Institute invites current and emeritus fellows, and scholars to travel from all across the country to come here at Brigit Rest for a 3 day intensive. The 2018 Retreat was one of connection, inspiration, and testy Wisconsin weather. This was the first retreat for our...

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Liam Heneghan at Dear Earth Event

Recently at Ryerson Woods, the Dear Earth Event attempted to gain interested in the natural world, especially from younger children. Guests were invited to learn about the natural world and what humans can do to preserve it. There were fun activities such as roasting marshmallows, painting pumpkins, and viewing all of...

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Debra Marquart at Luther College Writers Festival

Recently, Luther College in Iowa hosted its fifth biennial a writers festival. Debra Marquart, BEI Emeritus fellow and professor of English was one of the featured writers at the festival. Check here for the article written by Kelao Charmaine Neumbo. “The Writers Festival kicked off with a reading by one of this...

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