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Events and Visiting Writers

An outdoor poetry reading is taking place in a garden courtyard surrounded by trees and greenery. The audience, seated on bright yellow chairs, faces a man standing at the front with a microphone. The man appears to be reading or performing, with sunlight filtering through the trees above. Raised garden beds and a green birdhouse add to the community garden atmosphere.

The Department of Writing maintains a lively, ongoing series of opportunities for students to encounter a diverse range of emerging and distinguished writers. Our Writer at Large program, the annual Michael Mahoney Memorial Reading, the MFA’s Writing Activisms series, and other events bring renowned writers to campus for readings, workshops, and manuscript consultations. Beyond these events, department faculty regularly invite writers to spend time with their classes.

Writer at Large

The Leslie Scalapino Lecture in Innovative Poetics

Ten people, mostly students, pose indoors in a classroom holding up various books, showcasing them proudly. They stand and sit behind a white table cluttered with coffee cups, laptops, and papers. The atmosphere is informal and cheerful, with posters and signs on the wall reading “LOG OUT” behind them.
A group of students sits around a white conference table in a small, well-lit classroom. They are engaged in a discussion led by a person seated at the far end of the table. The students appear focused and attentive, with notebooks, drinks, and personal belongings scattered on the table.
A diverse group of people sits in a circle of yellow chairs in an outdoor courtyard, engaged in discussion. The setting is casual and shaded by trees, with a white building wall in the background. Several participants gesture as they speak, suggesting an open dialogue or community conversation.
A group of students sits and stands around a large wooden table in a historic library room with ornate paneling and a chandelier overhead. They are engaged in archival research or a class activity, with books, papers, and folders spread across the table. A large monitor on the wall displays a document labeled “Humbling Archival Collections.” Shelves of books and archival boxes line the room.
A man stands behind a wooden podium labeled
A person wearing glasses and a loose striped shirt gestures expressively while speaking at a lectern. Papers, a drink with red liquid, and electronic equipment are on the small desk in front of them. The setting is a classroom with wood paneling and natural light.
A woman in a brown dress with a black cardigan stands at a wooden podium speaking to an audience. The room is filled with seated attendees, many with colorful hairstyles, watching her intently.
  • A young woman stands outdoors in front of a microphone, reading from her phone. She is dressed in a black top and jeans. The audience, seated on yellow chairs, listens attentively in a garden setting with string and clothespins overhead.
  • Three women smile and pose together behind a wooden podium labeled
  • A group of approximately 16 students and faculty sit around a long dinner table in a warmly lit restaurant. The table is set with plates of food, glasses, and blue glass bottles, while the attendees smile and engage with one another across the table.
A small green-painted wooden book-sharing box with a peaked roof stands in a garden, its door open to reveal a variety of books inside. Surrounding it are potted plants, flowers, and a building with a window in the background.
An evening outdoor event with a person standing and speaking into a microphone under string lights. Several people are seated in yellow folding chairs, attentively listening. The space is surrounded by greenery, with an informal and intimate setup.
Four individuals stand together on stone steps in front of a neoclassical government building, smiling and posing in afternoon sunlight. Each person wears a dress or coat, and the individual on the far left carries a black tote that reads
  • A colorful event poster with a gradient background announcing “HEAT / HAUNTING: Readings from Pratt Creative Writing faculty and students” on November 9, 2023, at 5 PM. Listed readers include James Hannaham, Claire Donato, Ingrid Jones, Lena Afridi, Andrew Riad, Levy Erwin, and Anika Jade Levy. The event is hosted at The Shirley Project Space, Brooklyn, NY.
  • Fred Moten sits behind a table with a laptop, speaking into a microphone during a memorial reading event. The room is softly lit, with large windows showing a view of parked cars and bare trees outside. A water bottle and papers rest on the table.
A small turquoise wooden library box with a dark shingled roof stands in a garden. A poem titled
Six women sit on the stone steps of a historic building at night, holding red books titled *Patremata*. They smile and pose for the photo under warm lighting, with detailed architectural carvings and black double doors behind them. A stone plaque reads
A wide view of a reading event in a brightly lit room. Attendees fill rows of chairs facing a front area with microphones and a laptop. Large windows in the background show trees and a parking lot outside.
  • An outdoor roundtable event takes place in a garden courtyard. A woman in a yellow jumpsuit speaks to a seated group of students and alumni on yellow chairs. The event is framed by trees, a white building, and ambient daylight.
  • A woman in a green checkered jacket and long green skirt speaks into a microphone while reading from a page. She stands in a well-lit room with large windows. Behind her, Fred Moten sits at a table with a laptop, preparing to present.
  • A woman in a floral dress stands at a microphone, reading aloud in a garden setting. She is positioned beside a small green library box, surrounded by sunflowers and planter beds. The event takes place in daylight, beneath leafy trees.
  • A person dressed in black dances in front of a large, curved window on a rainy day. The wide glass panes show a grassy landscape outside. The figure strikes a dramatic pose, mid-motion, with their arm raised and bent.
A group of students gathers at yellow tables in a shaded outdoor area, enjoying snacks and drinks. Some are standing and chatting while others are seated. Emojis of two suns and a sunflower are overlaid at the top of the image.
A smiling group of eight students and their professor pose in a classroom in front of a white wall. Everyone is casually dressed, with the professor on the left wearing a black dress over a polka-dot top. A sign behind them reads “Please Remember to Log Out.”
At night, a man reads from a paper at a microphone in an outdoor garden setting, illuminated by string lights. The audience is seated on yellow chairs facing him, and a small turquoise library box stands nearby, marking the event space.
A group of students sitting in garden enclosed by white buildings and surrounded by trees and plants. They are listening to a faculty member.
A group of people gathers under autumn trees in a courtyard, socializing around a table covered in drinks and snacks. Many wear jackets and backpacks, and the ground is covered in fallen leaves. Warm string lights hang among the branches above.
A man in a beanie and leather jacket performs stand-up comedy with a microphone in a cozy venue. The audience, seated on white couches, watches attentively. Behind him are colorful abstract paintings on the wall and glowing letter blocks in a window.
  • A woman in a black outfit stands on a stage reading from a piece of paper. Behind her is a projection of several women in yellow dresses walking along a beach. The lighting emphasizes her focused expression during what appears to be a live reading or performance.
  • Three people stand smiling in an outdoor garden next to a tall sunflower. The person in the middle has their arms around the shoulders of the other two. Behind them is a modern concrete building with a window and string lights. The mood is relaxed and joyful.
  • Three women sit closely together inside a wood-paneled library or study room, smiling warmly at the camera. A sign in the background reads “Glascock Intercollegiate Poetry Competition Centennial (1923–2023),” indicating a literary or academic setting.
  • A golden retriever lies on a carpeted floor, looking up happily while being petted by several people. The dog wears a red harness and appears relaxed and content, surrounded by hands gently stroking its fur.
  • A speaker stands at a podium in a large classroom or lecture hall with rows of students seated and facing forward. Behind the speaker is a large blank projection screen and a whiteboard with the words “Go Go Future” written on it. The atmosphere is formal and academic, likely a guest lecture or seminar.