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Elizabeth Blevins, Director, Office of Communications
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            The first Shawnee State University intro series poetry reading will take place at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 18 in the Clark Memorial Library Alcove with the 2010 Writer of Promise Barbara “Brew” Wilson-Battles.
            Neil Carpathios, assistant professor of English and Humanities, will be introducing Wilson-Battles at the reading. He will also read some of his poetry and have his book available for purchase and signing.
            “In graduate school, in the creative writing program that I was in at the University of Iowa, students were required to give a public reading of their original works as a graduation requirement,” Carpathios said. “Although not quite the same concept, I thought it would be nice to create a yearly reading series here to introduce SSU student writers of promise.”
            Wilson-Battles took Carpathios’ creative writing classes, including the advanced poetry workshop class offered at SSU.
            “I am looking forward to the opportunity,” she said. “I’m just hoping that I don’t get too nervous because the only time that I’ve really done a reading was at the Port City open mic night.”
            Wilson-Battles will be presenting selected poems from her collection to read for the event. She will be reciting some of her poems inspired by the news and poems from her chapbook called “Dead Girl Near the Road.”
            “She sets high standards for herself as a poet and she has the ability to be direct and honest in her poems while elevating the language,” Carpathios said.”
            The event is free and open to the public.