Ohio Poets to Visit New Contemporary Ohio Poets Class at Shawnee State

Dec. 7, 2011

Ohio poets will be visiting Shawnee State University spring semester to meet students in a new class offering, Contemporary Ohio Poets (ENGL 3999).

Neil Carpathios, Assistant professor of English, has invited well-known Ohio writers to visit the class during the semester. On Open Mic nights at the University Center, the visiting poet will be featured.

The class is from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. in Massie Hall. Ohio poets scheduled at SSU are Cathryn Essinger, David Lee Garrison, Robert Milter, A.E. Stringer, Lou Suarez, George Bilgere and Nin Andrews.

Essinger has published three books of poetry, including "My Dog Does Not Read Plato" (2004) and "What I Know about Innocence" (2009). Essinger teaches at Edison Community College in Piqua, Ohio.

Garrison teaches Spanish and Portuguese at Wright State University. His most recent book is "Sweeping the Cemetery" (Browser Books). Two poems from that collection were featured on Garrison Keillor's radio program.

Milter is associate professor of English at Kent State Stark Branch. His first book, "Hotel Utopia," will be released soon.

Stringer is the author of two collections of poems, "Channel Markers" (Wesleyan University Press) and "Human Costume" (Salmon Poetry). For twenty years, he has been teaching writing and literature at Marshall University in West Virginia.

Suarez grew up in the 1950s in Canton, Ohio, which provides an idyllic setting for many of his poems. He finds inspiration across northeastern Ohio. Suarez is Professor emeritus at Lorain County Community College and resides in Sheffield Lake, Ohio.

Bilgere has published five collections of poetry and his collection, "The White Museum" was awarded the 2009 Autumn House Poetry Prize. He has won numerous awards, including the Midland Authors Award, the May Swenson Poetry Award for his collection, "Haywire" (2006), and a Pushcart Prize. He will be reading his poetry on Garrison Keillor's "Prairie Home Companion" NPR radio show on Saturday, Dec. 10.

Andrews is the author of several books including "The Book of Orgasms; Spontaneous Breasts," winner of the Pearl Chapbook contest; "Any Kind of Excuse," winner of the Kent State University Wick chapbook contest; "Why They Grow Wings," winner of the Gerald Cable Award, among others. Andrews will also be at SSU in April during the release party for its literary publication, "Tapestries."

To register for the class, go to the Office of the Registrar located in the University Center, second floor, open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday. For more information, contact the office at (740) 351-3471 or go online to http://www.shawnee.edu/off/reg/index.html.