Aracelis Girmay, 2015 Whiting Award-winning poet, to read at Muhlenberg Nov. 2
Girmay will give a public reading of her work on Monday, Nov. 2, at 7 p.m. in Moyer Hall’s Miller Forum. The event, part of the College's fall 2015 Living Writers series, is free and open to the public.
Tuesday, October 20, 2015 03:16 PM
Girmay is is the author of two books of poems: "Teeth" (Curbstone Press, 2007) and "Kingdom Animalia" (BOA Editions, 2011). She is also the author/illustrator of the collage-based picture book "changing, changing," published by George Braziller in 2005. In March 2015, she was named a recipient of the Whiting Award, given annually to 10 emerging writers in poetry, fiction, nonfiction and drama. The awards of $50,000 each are based on early accomplishment and the promise of great literary work to come.
She is currently an assistant professor of poetry at Hampshire College. She received her B.A. in documentary studies from Connecticut College and an M.F.A. in poetry from New York University. She has received grants and fellowships in support of her projects from the NEA, Civitella Ranieri, the Jerome Foundation, the Watson Foundation and the Cave Canem Foundation, among other programs. Before joining Hampshire's faculty, Girmay taught community writing workshops with young people for several years, at which time she worked with the ACTION Project, a teen arts and social justice program in the Bronx. She has also taught at Queens College and is currently on the faculty of Drew University's low residency M.F.A. program.
Living Writers, established in 1994, is a course offered once every three years that brings established and emerging writers to Muhlenberg College. Students enrolled in the course read the authors' recent works, and then interact with them directly when they visit campus for a day. The writers come to class, have lunch with students and then give a public reading of their work in the evening.
Future readings will be given by Neil Gaiman (November 16) and Phil Klay (November 30). All readings, except for Gaiman, are free and will be held in Miller Hall, Moyer Forum, at 7 p.m.
Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg is a highly selective, private, four-year residential college located in Allentown, Pa., approximately 90 miles west of New York City. With an undergraduate enrollment of approximately 2200 students, Muhlenberg College is dedicated to shaping creative, compassionate, collaborative leaders through rigorous academic programs in the arts, sciences, business, education and public health. A member of the Centennial Conference, Muhlenberg competes in 22 varsity sports. Muhlenberg is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
