Maryville University to Host Ted Kooser, Former U.S. Poet Laureate

Lecture, Reception and Workshop Featured

ST. LOUIS, MO (09/09/2010)(readMedia)-- Maryville University, in partnership with St. Louis Writer's Guild, will host Ted Kooser, former U.S. Poet Laureate and Pulitzer Prize winning poet, for three events on Oct. 22 and 23.

As part of Maryville's Medart lecture series, at 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 22, Kooser will read from his works at a free public lecture in the University Auditorium; at 6 p.m. before the lecture, a reception and book signing will be held in the University Library and May Gallery. Admission to the reception is $30.

Kooser will conduct a poetry workshop from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct. 23, in Buder Commons. The workshop is $49; $39 for members of the St. Louis Writers Guild and St. Louis Poetry Center, and their affiliates and students.

One of the most distinguished writers of our time, Kooser is Presidential Professor of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He has published 12 books of poetry, including Delights and Shadows, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 2005.

Kooser's visit is part of the St. Louis Writers Guild's 90th Anniversary Year of Festivals.

For more information and to register for the reception and workshop, visit St. Louis Writers Guild online by Friday, Oct.1.

About St. Louis Writers Guild

Founded in 1920 by a group of distinguished writers, St. Louis Writers Guild, one of the nation's premier literary organizations, today includes local published authors, journalists, freelancers, and beginning writers interested in improving their skills and meeting fellow writers. Tennessee Williams won the Guild's Short Story Contest in 1935 with "Stella for Star," and the continuing competition draws entrants from across the nation and several foreign countries every year.

About Maryville University

Founded in 1872, Maryville University is a four-year, private university located in west St. Louis County. Ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of America's Best Colleges in the Regional Universities – Midwest category, Maryville University students may choose from 50 academic programs, including degrees at the bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels. Among recent graduates, 82 percent are employed or attending graduate school. More than 16,000 Maryville alumni work and live in the St. Louis region.