A West Virginia University professor who has won prizes for her poetry will give a reading Wednesday, March 20, at 7:30 p.m. in 130 Colson Hall, on the downtown campus. The reading is free and open to the public.

Mary Ann Samyn is the author of five full-length collections of poetry—”My Life in Heaven,” winner of the 2012 FIELD Poetry Prize (Oberlin College Press, 2013), “Beauty Breaks In” (New Issues, 2009), “Purr” (New Issues, 2005), “Inside the Yellow Dress” (New Issues, 2001) and Captivity Narrative” (Ohio State University Press, 1999)—and two chapbooks—”The Boom of a Small Cannon” (Dancing Girl Press, 2010) and “Rooms by the Sea” (Kent State University Press, 1994). Her poems have appeared in Field, Colorado Review, Kenyon Review, The Journal, Third Coast, Verse, Mid-American Review, Pleiades and elsewhere.

Professor Samyn received her Master of Arts from Ohio University and her Master of Fine Arts from the University of Virginia, where she was a Hoyns Fellow. Among her awards are a creative artist grant from ArtServe Michigan, the Emily Dickinson Prize from the Poetry Society of America, the James Wright Poetry Award from Mid-American Review and a Pushcart Prize.

She has also received Eberly College WVU Foundation awards for outstanding teaching and research, the Gaston Caperton Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Writing and the Benedum Distinguished Scholar in the humanities award. She currently holds the Bolton Professorship for Teaching and Mentoring.

“Mary Ann Samyn writes exquisite poetry, and it’s always a pleasure to hear her read,” said Mark Brazaitis, a professor of English and the director of WVU’s Creative Writing Program. “She’ll be reading from her new book—an occasion to celebrate. If you haven’t heard Mary Ann read, you’ll want to attend. If you have heard her read, you’ll already have blocked off March 20 on your calendar.”

For more information, contact Mark Brazaitis at 304-293-9707 or Mark.Brazaitis@mail.wvu.edu.

-WVU-

mb/02/28/13

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