Kitsch is a way of describing certain kinds of seemingly trivial, yet treasured, objects in material culture, and poetry has a crucial role in its history.

Poet L. S. Asekoff, co-recipient of the Library of Congress’s 15th annual Witter Bynner Fellowship in poetry, reads from his work. A moderated conversation with former U.S.

Jean Valentine, co-translator of Dark Elderberry Branch: Poems of Marina Tsvetaeva, and poet and editor Christian Wiman, translator of Stolen Air: Sel

"[O]ne of the authentic, unpredictable, urgent, essential voices of our time. All her life she was in love with the hope of telling utter truth.” (W. S. Merwin).

Join us for a special reading by three poets currently in residence at the University of Iowa’s famed International Writing Program.

Renowned scholar and critic Marjorie Perloff discusses American composer and music theorist John Cage.

RESCHEDULED from Thursday November 1st due to Superstorm Sandy

Former U.S.

Doors open at 1:30pm for this program

Readings by Sherman Alexie, Tina Chang, Toi Derricotte, Michael Dickman, Timothy Donnelly, Cornelius Ead