Poet Karen Swenson to Visit OBU Feb. 9-13

January 9, 2009

Award-winning poet Karen Swenson will visit Oklahoma Baptist University's campus Feb. 9-13, as part of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, a program which helps bring professionals to private liberal arts universities for a week.

During her time on Bison Hill, Swenson will be featured in two events for the public as well as speak to several classes including English, political science, arts and Western culture and world civilizations.

The first public event, a lecture titled, "Tibet: The Sacred Mountain," will be Wednesday, Feb. 11, at 4 p.m. in the Mabee Learning Center auditorium. The second public event will be a poetry reading on Thursday, Feb. 12, at 6 p.m. in the Bailey Business Center auditorium.

"Ms. Swenson's visit to OBU provides our students with an opportunity to learn from a nationally prominent poet and travel-writer," said Dr. Ben Myers, OBU assistant professor of English. "Students will have the chance for both group discussion and one-on-one work in a workshop setting."

Poetry volumes by Swenson include "An Attic of Ideals," "West-East," "A Sense of Direction" and "The Landlady in Bangkok." Swenson previously visited the OBU campus in 2001 as part of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. "The Landlady in Bangkok" won a National Poetry Series prize. Swenson also has become well-known for her world travel. Her journeys to Southeast Asia have inspired four volumes of poetry along with several different writings about her travel in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and the New Leader.

Swenson's discussion topics often include writing poetry and prose, journalism, travel, Tibet, China and the globe. She has served as poet-in-residence at Skidmore College, the University of Idaho, Denver University, Clark University and Scripps College. She also taught at City College of New York for 15 years.

For more information about Swenson's visit to OBU, contact Myers at ben.myers@okbu.edu.