Penn State boasts an eclectic and vibrant arts community and is proud to host some of the most acclaimed writers in the world alongside up-and-coming authors as well as our own alumni.
Mary E. Rolling Reading Series
At the hub of this literary excitement is the Mary E. Rolling Reading Series. Previous visitors have included Donald Antrim, Rick Bass, Jo Ann Beard, Aimee Bender, Billy Collins, Lydia Davis, Alison Hawthorne Deming, Mark Doty, Stuart Dybek, Linda Gregerson, Alex Lemon, Chinelo Okparanta, Ann Pancake, Francine Prose, Ito Romo, George Saunders, Charles Simic, Anne Stevenson, Melanie Thernstrom, Michael Waters, John Edgar Wideman, and Charles Wright.
The Rolling Reading Series for 2022-2023 includes:
Xu Xi on October 13, 2022
Stephen Graham Jones on November 8, 2022
Samuel Kọ́láwọlé on January 26, 2023
Krista Eastman on February 23, 2023
Abby Minor on April 13, 2023
All readings are held at 6:00pm in Foster Auditorium at Pattee Library and are free and open to the public.
Emily Dickinson Lecture in American Poetry
The generosity of alumni donors George and Barbara Kelly allows us to bring in annually a renowned American poet, who either gives a lecture about poetry or reads his or her own work. Previous visitors include Elizabeth Alexander, Richard Blanco, Rita Dove, Robert Hass, Juan Felipe Herrera, Jane Hirshfield, Susan Howe, Li-Young Lee, Marilyn Nelson, Naomi Shihab Nye, Sharon Olds, Alicia Ostriker, Robert Pinksy, Yusef Komunyakaa, Vijay Seshadri, and Tracy K. Smith. The Emily Dickinson Lecturer for 2022-23 is poet Natasha Trethewey, whose scheduled reading in September 2022 was postponed to a later date, likely fall 2023.
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The Fisher Family Family Writer-in-Residence Program
The Fisher Family Writer-in-Residence Program brings authors to campus for week-long stays that include classroom visits, one-on-one conferences with graduate students, informal craft lectures, and public readings. Previous residencies have included Sandra Cisneros, Kate Daniels, Lydia Davis, Mary Gaitskill, Kimiko Hahn, Sarah Manguso, Susan Orlean, Paisley Rekdal, George Saunders, David Shields, and Jess Walter. The Fisher Writer-in-Residence for spring 2023 will be poet Adrian Matejka. He will read on March 23, 2023 at 6:00 pm in Foster Auditorium.
Red Weather Reading Series
The Red Weather Reading Series invites authors interested in connecting with student writers in an informal environment. Julie Johnson, Daniel Nester, G.C. Waldrep, Paula Bohince, Chavisa Woods, Vicki Glembocki, John Rowell, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, and Roald Hoffman are among recent visitors.
Graduate Creative Writing Series
The Graduate Creative Writing Series features the work of current students. Readings are casual and lively and serve as important social gathering space as well as a showcase for the works-in-progress of the community.
Creative Writing at Penn State Blog
The Creative Writing at Penn State Blog features events, ideas and enlivening discussion about all things literary at PSU.
To access our calendar of events and keep up with our doings, please visit us at creativewriting.psu.edu, or at facebook.com/psuwriters and twitter.com/psuwriters. While you’re there, please “like” us on Facebook or “follow” us on Twitter.
