Poet 'of two cultures' speaks Sept. 17 at Elizabethtown College's Bowers Writers House

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Richard Blanco, inaugural poet

ELIZABETHTOWN, PA (09/06/2014)(readMedia)-- On Jan. 21, 2013, when he read "One Today" as an honorary participant in the official ceremony, Richard Blanco became the youngest, the first Latino and the first openly gay person to serve as the Presidential inaugural poet. He joins the ranks of such luminary inaugural bards as Robert Frost, Maya Angelou, Miller Williams and Elizabeth Alexander.

Blanco comes to Elizabethtown College's Leffler Chapel and Performance Center at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 17, to discuss his experiences as a dynamic American of two cultures. His talk, "Cuban Blanco, American Richard: Made in Cuba, Assembled in Spain, Imported to the USA," is free but tickets are required.

The poet's acclaimed first book, "City of a Hundred Fires," explores the yearnings and negotiation of cultural identity as a Cuban-American and received the prestigious Agnes Starrett Poetry Prize from the University of Pittsburgh Press. His second book, "Directions to The Beach of the Dead," won the 2006 PEN/American Beyond Margins Award for its continued exploration of the universal themes of place and homecoming. His third collection, "Looking for The Gulf Motel," was published by University of Pittsburgh Press in 2012.

Blanco's work has appeared in "The Best American Poetry 2000," "Great American Prose Poems" and has been featured on National Public Radio's "All Things Considered." Blanco is a Fellow of the Bread Loaf Writers Conference and a recipient of two Florida Artist Fellowships. A builder of cities and poems, he also is a professional civil engineer.

Contact: Jesse Waters at watersj@etown.edu, writershouse@etown.edu or 717-689-3945 to reserve your seat.

Bowers Writers House at Elizabethtown College, 840 College Hill Lane, was created with a generous gift by Kenneth L. '59 and Rosalie E. '58 Bowers to support a culture of creative curiosity and foster a new sense of excitement and enthusiasm for intellectual diversity. The Bowers Writers House is an interdisciplinary venue for presentation, performance, expression and study. The programs-from dramatic readings to interactive panels to musical performances-offer a dynamic variety of enjoyable and informative experiences.

Bowers Writers House: www.etown.edu/centers/writershouse/

Read about additional events at Elizabethtown College.

Elizabethtown College, located in historic Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, is a private coed institution offering more than four dozen liberal arts, fine and performing arts, science and engineering, business, communications and education degrees. Learn more: http://www.etown.edu/about/

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