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Poets perform selected works

Cougar News Staff

Three renowned writers brought a crowd to the M.D. Anderson Library on Wednesday night for an entertaining literary event: UH Poetry and Prose. 

Murray Farish, a candidate for a Master of Fine Arts in the creative writing program at UH, read first. The native of Birmingham, Ala., read his work, a strange tale of a girlis search for religion. Her curious religious fanaticism coincided with alcoholism, lovemaking and violence, as Farish took his listeners on a journey from laughter to seriousness and back again, then ended with a strong message about consolation in dark times.

Steve Orlen, who teaches in the MFA programs at the University of Arizona and Warren Wilson College in Asheville, N. C., read several old and new narrative poems covering topics from embarrassment to multiple orgasms. Much of his work reflects his love for his wife, who is an artist and the subject for "The Painter." Orlen described a drive he took with her on a winding road in Arizona, and how the scenery must have looked from her artistic perspective.

Rubén Martínez, a new UH associate professor of creative writing, read last. Before beginning, Martínez talked about an anti-war rally this weekend. Martínez began with Walt Whitmanis "Respoondez." Originally part of Leaves of Grass, Whitman removed the poem because of its negative tone toward America unfitting to the rest of the collection. Martínez finished off with three pieces he wrote, all threaded with the common theme of conflicting cultures, which he experienced growing up as the son and grandson of immigrants, including a selection from his book Crossing Over: A Mexican Family on the Migrant Trail. 

The next Poetry and Prose event, featuring an open mike session, is scheduled for March 20. Steve Liparulo, a novelist and lecturer who earned his Ph.D. in literature and creative writing from UH will also participate. As usual, the reading will be held in Rm. 115 of the M.D. Anderson Library and will begin at 6 p.m. 

For more information about the next event and those who performed Wednesday night, go to www.info.lib.uh.edu/dev/events/pandp.html.
 

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