Acclaimed Author George David Clark to Hold Poetry Reading at Grace College

The Grace College Department of Humanities welcomes author and poet George David Clark for a poetry reading on Thursday, April 25, at 6 p.m. at Morgan Library, 921 Connection Circle, Winona Lake. The reading serves as the second installment of the Lila Carson Lecture Series, a program that allows Grace to host nationally and internationally acclaimed writers on its campus.

The event is free and open to the public. It will include a coffee-and-cookie reception and discounted copies of “Newly Not Eternal” available for purchase and signing.

“Events like these remind us that authors are humans too, and that can help to demystify the writing process,” said Dr. Lauren Rich, chair of the Department of Humanities. “Attending a good author talk or poetry reading is like going to a live sports event or concert: Even if you don’t know the team or band, it’s compelling to be in the presence of excellence and to share that experience with a live audience.”

According to LSU Press, Clark’s newest book “explores the suffering and sentiment implicit in human mortality.” It is preceded by “Reveille,” which won the Miller Williams Prize. Clark’s most recent poems can be found or are forthcoming in AGNI, The Georgia Review, The Southern Review, Virginia Quarterly Review and elsewhere.

Clark held the Olive B. O’Connor Fellowship at Colgate University and the Lilly Postdoctoral Fellowship at Valparaiso University. He currently serves as an associate professor of English at Washington & Jefferson College, where he teaches creative writing. Clark holds a B.A. from Union University, an M.F.A. from the University of Virginia and a Ph.D. from Texas Tech University.

While working on his Ph.D., Clark studied under Grace College Professor of English Dr. John Poch. When Poch stepped down more than ten years ago as the editor-in-chief of literary magazine “32 Poems,” he chose Clark to succeed him. In recent years, the two have enjoyed a close friendship in addition to their professional relationship.

“Many recognize George David Clark as one of the best poets writing in America,” said Poch. “His first book was a big imaginative success, and this one achieves even more accomplished writing. His poems are chiseled like rare gemstones, arranged in a beautiful crown of a book. And his Christian witness stands as a fine testimony to the fact that many of the best poets are concerned not only with the essential beauty to be found in poetry but also with the deeper truths found in the Scriptures.”

Senior English major and creative writing minor Riley Hollars acknowledges the intellectual and professional value of Clark’s visit and the Lila Carson Lecture Series at Grace.

“These experiences not only allow English and creative writing students to see how their lives could play out creatively,”  she said. “But they also provide all students the opportunity to have conversations with absolute professionals in their fields — people who have heard, accepted and thrived in their calling.”

For more information about the Lila Carson Lecture Series at Grace College, visit www.grace.edu/academics/undergraduate/academic-schools-departments/school-of-arts-and-humanities/department-of-humanities/lila-carson-lecture-series/.

Learn more about Grace College’s English major and creative writing minor.