University News

Native American Poets at Western Feb. 9-10

February 6, 2009

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MACOMB, IL - - Three Native American poets - - Marianne Broyles, Sherwin Bitsui and Layli Longsoldier - - will be on the Western Illinois University Macomb campus Monday-Tuesday, Feb. 9-10 to visit with English writing students and to read their poetry.

Invited by Assistant Professor of English Erika Wurth, the poets will hold a question-and-answer session at 4:30 p.m. Monday (Feb. 9) in the Simpkins Hall Writing Center. They will read their poetry at 7 p.m. Tuesday (Feb. 10) in the Western Illinois Art Gallery. The readings are open free to the public.

Broyles, a Cherokee, earned her Master of Arts degree in creative writing from the University of Memphis. Her first collection of poetry, "The Red Door," was recently published by the University of New Mexico's West End Press.

Bitsui's poems have been published in "American Poet," "The Iowa Review" and "Frank" (Paris) and have been anthologized in "Legitimate Dangers: American Poets of the New Century." His first book, "Shapeshift," was published by the University of Arizona and his second book is soon to be released by Copper Canyon Press.

Longsoldier is Oglala Lakota, and she is earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in creative writing at the Institute of American Indian Arts. She is a two-time recipient of the Truman Capote Scholarship Award, and worked as chief editor for the "Native Language Network." Longsoldier works for the Indigenous Language Institute, and her first chapbook of poetry, "Burial Flight," is being published by Q Ave Press.

For more information, contact Wurth at (309) 298-1212 or ET-Wurth@wiu.edu.

Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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