Pulitzer Prize winner and 13th United States poet laureate Ted Kooser speaks today at 4 p.m. at Mississippi State University’s McComas Hall Auditorium.
The Distinguished Lecture Series is sponsored by the Institute for the Humanities with the support of the College of Arts & Sciences, the Office of Research and the Office of Provost. Kooser will read from his poetry and will have a book signing after the lecture.
The Distinguished Lecture Series provides the community with the opportunity to not only hear outstanding lectures, readings and presentations, but actually meet scholars and artists who are recognized as the best in their fields.
William Hay, coordinator for the Distinguished Lecture Series, said the series has been running since February 2005 and has done much to raise the profile of the humanities on campus.
“Speakers have included major poets, scholars of philosophy and religion, historians and several classicists,” Hay said “Typically, there are three events per semester, but this has varied over the course of the series.”
April is national poetry month so having a poetry reading at the lecture series fits that well, Hay said.
Gary Myers, Dean of College of Arts and Sciences and Director of the Institute for the Humanities, is very excited about Ted Kooser coming to campus.
“On a personal level it is rather interesting that Ted Kooser is coming to campus because I did my undergraduate degree at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and studied under another creative writer Ted Kuzma,” Myers said. “I met Ted Kooser while there but didn’t study under him. Both “Teds” were the creative writers in poetry at that time.”
Myers said that well over 30 scholars, writers, musicians of international recognition have come to campus since the lecture series began in 2005.
“Most notably the 2008 Nobel Laureate for Literature, J.M.G. LeClezio, and the President of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, Edward Hirsch, has been a part of the lecture series,” Myers said. “The purpose of the series is to provide our students, faculty, and community members with the opportunity to hear and to meet the most prominent people in the Arts and Humanities.”
Myers said that he anticipates that Ted Kooser’s reading will be another outstanding event.
Junior communication major, Elizabeth Fine, is excited about this event on campus.
“It’s great that thee lecture series allows such talented and important people people to come speak at MSU,” Fine said.
The lecture series is a great opportunity that students should be more aware of and take advantage of, Fine said.
“The event is free and we encourage student, faculty and community members to join us,” Hay said.
April is National Poetry Month so having a poetry reading at the lecture series fits that well, Hay said.
Gary Myers, dean of College of Arts & Sciences and director of the Institute for the Humanities, said he is looking forward to Kooser’s visit.
“On a personal level it is rather interesting that Ted Kooser is coming to campus because I did my undergraduate degree at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and studied under another creative writer, Ted Kuzma,” Myers said. “I met Ted Kooser while there but didn’t study under him. Both ‘Teds’ were the creative writers in poetry at that time.”
Myers said that well over 30 scholars, writers and musicians of international recognition have come to campus since the lecture series began in 2005.
“Most notably the 2008 Nobel Laureate for Literature, J.M.G. LeClezio, and the president of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, Edward Hirsch, have been a part of the lecture series,” Myers said. “The purpose of the series is to provide our students, faculty and community members with the opportunity to hear and to meet the most prominent people in the arts and humanities.”
Myers said he anticipates Ted Kooser’s reading will be another outstanding event.
Junior communication major Elizabeth Fine said she is excited to hear Kooser speak.
“It’s great that the lecture series allows such talented and important people to come speak at MSU,” she said.
The lecture series is a great opportunity that students should be more aware of and take advantage of, Fine said.
“The event is free and we encourage student, faculty and community members to join us,” Hay said.
For more information about ticket reservations, call 325-3203.