Poet and playwright to read works, visit English classes

March 27, 2006 —

Award-winning poet and playwright Rane Arroyo will read from his works at SVSU on Wednesday, April 5 at 7:30 p.m. in Founders Hall as part of SVSU's Voices in the Valley series.

Arroyo published his first poem at age 14 and has authored five books of poetry, including "Columbus's Orphan," "Home Movies of Narcissus," "Pale Roman," and "The Singing Shark." His latest book, "The Portable Famine," focuses upon his years of being an "interior exile" as a gay, Puerto Rican, Midwest writer. Arroyo has received several honors for his poetry, including the John Ciardi Poetry Prize, the Gwendolyn Books Prize for a Poem, and the Carl Sandburg Poetry Award.

Born in Chicago, Arroyo's plays have been performed in major U.S. cities such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland, and have also been published in anthologies and literary magazines such as the Bellingham Review, the Kenyon Review, and the Xavier Review.

Director of the creative writing program and a professor at the University of Toledo, Arroyo received his doctorate in American literature and cultural studies from the University of Pittsburgh.

During his time at SVSU, Arroyo will be visiting English classes as a King-Chavez-Parks visiting scholar.

This program is sponsored by the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth's King-Chavez-Parks Initiative, Sigma Lambda Gamma Sorority and SVSU's Office of Diversity Programs.

The "Voices in the Valley" series brings creative writers and other speakers to SVSU to share their artistic voices with students, faculty and the community. The series is funded by the College of Arts and Behavioral Sciences. Admission is free of charge.

For more information, contact SVSU's Office of Diversity Programs at (989) 964-4068.