Emmett Memorial Lecture features poet, short story author

The 14th annual Victor J. Emmett Memorial Lecture will be delivered by a university professor and prominent author of poetry and short stories.

Joseph Powell, a professor of English at Central Washington University, will present “On the Newest Bees in Darwin’s Garden,” at 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 19, in the Governor's Room of the Overman Student Center. The free presentation compares the works of William Wordsworth and John Clare as contrasting models for subsequent poetry. A reception and award ceremony will follow in the Heritage Lounge.

Powell, who received an MA from Central Washington University and an MFA from the University of Arizona, has written three books of poetry as well as co-written a book on meter in poetry entitled Accent on Meter: A Handbook for the Readers of Poetry. His work has appeared in more than 60 journals, including The Connecticut Review, Kansas Quarterly, and The Humanist. He is currently working on two books of poetry. His new collection of short stories entitled "Fish Grooming and Other Stories," will be released this month.

The Emmett Memorial Lecture is delivered each year at PSU by the author of the best essay on a literary topic, which is published annually by The Midwest Quarterly. Powell’s winning essay was entitled “Honesty, Elegance & the Ragged Edge,” which appeared in the fall 2007 issue.

The Emmett Memorial Lecture is sponsored by the Midwest Quarterly, the PSU English Department and the Emmett family. The award is in memory of the late Dr. Victor J. Emmett, Jr. who served the PSU English Department as professor and chairperson. He also served as acting dean of Graduate Studies at PSU, and as editor-in-chief of The Midwest Quarterly.

For more information on this free lecture, contact the Department of English at 620-235-4689.

---Pitt State---