North Texas Daily

Olivia Sylvain // Intern Writer

Distinguished poet Brigit Pegeen Kelly will be at UNT for a question and answer session followed by a reading and book signing as part of the Visiting Writers Series, a program by the department of English.

Kelly’s most recent book, Orchard, was a finalist for the 2005 Pulitzer Prize in poetry. She is currently an English professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and received the Fellowship of the Academy of American Poets, an annual award for distinguished poetic achievement.

The Q&A is at 4 p.m. Thursday in room 230 of Sage Hall, and the reading and book signing will take place at 8 p.m. in room 180 of the Business Leadership Building.

Kelly’s work is often used as part of the curriculum for creative writing courses at UNT. English professor Corey Marks has followed Kelly’s work for several years.

“She is one of the most striking and inventive American poets working right now,” Marks said. “She has made a huge mark on the poetry world.”

Creative writing administrative assistant Lisa Vining said that professors in the English department decide which writers will visit the university and read their work to students and faculty each year. Some professors offer extra credit for their students to attend.

“This is an essential part of a writer’s education,” Marks said. “You learn a great deal by hearing writers read their own work.”

English doctoral student Jenny Molberg looks forward to meeting Kelly and hopes to hear some of her new work. She said she was inspired by Kelly’s poetry and requires her students to read it.

“Bringing writers to the university helps establish a community, it helps strengthen relationships between students and their professors, and it reminds us that learning continues outside of the classroom,” Molberg said.

Marks encourages students of all ages and majors to attend the event as an opportunity to hear the work of an admirable poet. The event is free and open to all students.