For Immediate Release

Date: March 24, 2009

For More Information: Brenda J. Rayner, (901) 333-4247

Poet Tina Barr to Present Sessions at Southwest

Poet Tina Barr will visit the Southwest Macon Cove Campus on April 3 as part of the college’s observance of National Poetry Month. First introduced in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets, National Poetry Month is celebrated every April as a way to increase awareness and appreciation of poetry in the United States. Barr, the first of four poets scheduled to visit, will present a public reading of her work, followed by a poetry writing workshop. The reading, which is free and open to the public, is scheduled for noon in the Farris Auditorium. Advance registration is required for the workshop, which will take place from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Fulton Building, Room-117.

Barr teaches at Rhodes College, where she directs the Creative Writing Program. A book of her poems, The Gathering Eye, won the Editor's Prize at Tupelo Press. She has also published three chapbooks, all award winners in chapbook competitions. She has received fellowships from organizations including the National Endowment for the Arts and the MacDowell Writers Colony, among others. Her poems have appeared in The Antioch Review, The Paris Review, Poetry, and other publications.

The poetry writing workshop is limited to 15 participants. Advance submission of work is not required, but participants are asked to prepare for the workshop by acquainting themselves with The Gathering Eye. Copies are available at Southwest’s campus bookstore. To register for the workshop, or for details, please call Thad Cockrill at 901-333-4604.

Southwest’s National Poetry Month Schedule