Nationally-known Poet Nathaniel Mackey to Visit Southeastern

Press Release Date: 02-19-2007

Southeastern Oklahoma State University will present Nathaniel Mackey, poet and winner of the 2006 National Book Award for Poetry for his book “Splay Anthem,” in two performances Thursday, March 1.

The program is sponsored by the Cultural and Scholastic Lectureship Committee, the SOSU Honors Program, Alpha Chi, and the School of Arts and Sciences

Mackey will be the speaker for the 6th annual Honors Program Spring Symposium at SOSU.

Professor Mackey will give an informal talk on poetry and jazz from 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. The program is entitled “Words and Music” and will be held in the New Student Union, room 213.

The second session will be a poetry reading in the Little Theater, also known as the Fine Arts Recital Hall, from 7–8:30 p.m. Mackey’s reading will be preceded by poetry readings from SOSU students Katheryn Bell, DeeAnne Dillard and Lauren MacNeil. The program will be followed by a reception and book signing.

Mackey’s books will be available for purchase and signing at both events.

According to the National Book Award website, Mackey’s new collection takes the reader to uncharted poetic spaces, forming the next installment of two ongoing serial poems Mackey has been writing for over 20 years: Song of the Andoumboulou and Mu.

Mackey is a poet, literary critic, fiction writer and journal editor whose eight books of poetry include Four for Trane, Septet for the End of Time, Outlantish and Song of the Andoumboulou. His 1985 poetry book, Eroding Witness, was selected for publication in the National Poetry Series.

He received a Whiting Writers’ Award in 1993 and was elected to the Board of Chancellors of the Academy of American Poets in 2001.

Mackey, editor of the literary magazine Hambone, is a Professor of Literature at the University of California-Santa Cruz.