Enjoy African literature, jazz-influenced poetry and other
contemporary pieces at this semester's Bathhouse Reading
Series.
The series, sponsored by EMU's English Department, features
both new and established voices from diverse quarters of
the literary scene. Guest writers read or perform their
work for the EMU community, as well as host discussions
or workshops for students.
"The Bathhouse Reading Series brings some of the most
interesting, funny, profane, performative, multimedia,
heartbreaking, whiskey-drinking-on-stage, somber, quiet,
and well-known writers from across North America (and now
from Africa) to read specifically for EMU students. For
free," said Jeff Parker, assistant professor from EMU's
Department of English Language and Literature. "They are
approachable, and willing to sign books and talk with students.
Be at every single one of them."
This winter's reading series includes:
Clayton Eshleman and Catherine
Wagner will read from their
work Thursday, Jan. 25, 5 p.m., in the Student Center Auditorium.
 |
Eshleman |
Eshleman is a poet whose quest has, for many years, manifested
itself in poetry, translation, essays, reviews, journal
editing, and paleo-archeology. The former EMU professor's
publications include "My Devotion" (Black Sparrow Books,
2004), "Conductors of the Pit" (Soft Skull, 2005), "Reciprocal
Distillations (Hot Whiskey Press, 2006), "An Alchemist
with One Eye on Fire" (Black Widow Press, 2006), 14 collections
of poetry, two collections of essays and more than 50 book
reviews for the Los Angeles Times. Eshleman founded and
edited two of the seminal poetry journals of the late
20th century, Caterpillar (1967-1973) and Sulfur (1981-2000).
In addition, he is the primary American translator of Cesar
Vallejo, Antonin Artaud and Aime Cesaire. Eshleman's awards
include The National Book Award, a Guggenheim Fellowship
in Poetry, the Landon Translation Prize from the Academy
of American Poets, and several grants from the National
Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the
Humanities. He currently resides in Ypsilanti.
 |
Wagner |
Catherine Wagner is the author of "Macular Hole" (Fence
2004), "Miss America" (Fence 2001), and several chapbooks,
most recently "Imitating" (Leafe Press, UK, 2004). Her
work has appeared in numerous literary magazines, including
Black Clock, Five Fingers Review, Fourteen Hills, The Hat,
New Review, Soft Targets and Superflux. Her current project
is an anthology of political poetics and poetry entitled, "A
Poetry and Politics Primer." Wagner is an assistant professor
at Miami University (Ohio).
Binyavanga Wainaina will read from his work and discuss
the state of contemporary African literature Monday, Feb.
12, 4 p.m., in the Student Center Auditorium.
 |
Wainaina |
Wainaina, born in Nakuru, Kenya, is the founding editor
of Kwani?, the first important literary magazine to come
out of East Africa since Transitions. He has written for
the East African, National Geographic, The Sunday Times
(South Africa) and The Guardian (UK). His publications
include "Discovering Home," "An Affair to Dismember," and "Beyond
the River Yei: Life in the Land Where Sleeping is a Disease." Wainaina
has received an award from Kenya Publisher's Association
and received the Caine Prize for African Writing. He is
presently writing a book based on his story, "Discovering
Home;" working
on his first novel, "The Fallen World of Appearances;" and
finishing up his master's degree in creative writing studies
at the University of East Anglia. He currently serves as
the writer-in-residence at Union College, in Schenectady,
N.Y.
 |
Eady |
The work of Cornelius Eady will be presented Tuesday,
Feb. 20, 7-9 p.m., in Sponberg Theatre. Eady will read
for the first half, followed by a staged reading with students
(under the direction of Lee Stille) for the second.
Eady has published seven volumes of poetry, beginning
with "Kartunes" in 1980. Influenced by blues and jazz,
Eady's poetry features a musical quality. He recently collaborated
with jazz composer Deidre Murray to produce several works
of musical theater, including "You Don't Miss Your Water," "Running
Man," "Fangs" and "Brutal Imagination." In 1996, Eady and
fellow poet, Toi Derricote, founded Cave Canem, a nonprofit
organization for black poets. His awards include the Strousse
Award from Prairie Schooner, a Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest
Award, and individual fellowships from the Rockefeller
Foundation, the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation,
and the National Endowment for the Arts. He is currently
on the faculty of the creative writing MFA program at Notre
Dame University.
 |
Wenderoth |
Joe Wenderoth will read Thursday, March
15, 5 p.m., in Sponberg Theatre. Wenderoth is an associate
professor of English at the University of California, Davis.
His body of work includes two books of poetry, "Disfortune" (Wesleyan
1995) and "It
Is If I Speak" (Wesleyan 2000); a novel in verse, "Letters
To Wendy's" (Verse Press 2000); and "The Holy Spirit Of
Life: Essays Written For John Ashcroft's Secret Self" (Verse
Press 2005). "Agony: A Proposal" is forthcoming from Verse
Press in 2007.
For more information about these events, contact EMU's
English Language and Literature Department at 487-4220,
e-mail jeff.parker@emich.edu,
or go to http://www.emich.edu/public/english/creative-writing/readingseries.php.
