Ouachita to host George Drew for poetry reading March 27
March 15, 2018
- Katie SmithOuachita Baptist University’s Department of Language and Literature will welcome poet
George Drew for “An Evening of Poetry: George Drew with Johnny Wink” on March 27 at
5:30 p.m. in Ouachita’s Hickingbotham Hall, room 200. The event will feature Drew
with Dr. Johnny Wink, Ouachita’s Betty Burton Peck Professor of English, as they read
selected poetry works and share stories of writing them. The event is free and open
to the public.
“George will read the lion’s share of the poems,” Wink explained. “I’m planning to
read a couple of mine and a couple by Jack Butler, a friend of long standing and a
wonderful writer. It was through Jack that George and I got to know each other.”
Drew was born and raised in Mississippi, and several of his works reflect his southern
upbringing. Much of his writing has been featured in magazines and journals nationwide.
Some of his more recognized writings include Pastoral Habits and Down & Dirty.
“George Drew is a remarkable person,” Wink said. “He’s lived a very interesting life,
and he talks and writes about it beautifully. I’m enchanted when I’m in his presence.
I’ve never encountered a poet who addresses a wider range of subjects than does George.”
Dr. Doug Sonheim, chair of Ouachita’s Department of Language and Literature, emphasized
that the event will offer attendees the opportunity to hear an author read and reflect
on his own words.
“Art in general, and poetry in particular, humanizes us, allowing us to see the world
from someone else's point of view,” explained Sonheim, who also serves as professor
of English and holder of the Clarence and Bennie Sue Anthony Chair of Bible and Humanities.
“Think about it,” Sonheim continued. “Hearing someone read aloud a poem he wrote is
a face-to-face, never-to-be-repeated experience that brings you into the presence
of another human being – actually, many humans, as you share that experience with
the folks sitting next to you in the audience. Whereas a lot of what we hear these
days divides and depresses us, the poems from George and Johnny – even the sad ones
– will in their beauty uplift us.”
Drew currently lives in New York state and has won many awards for his work, including
the Adirondack Literary Award for best poetry in 2009 and 2017 and the 2016 Bucks
County Muse Award. He has authored eight collections, with his most recent, Fancy’s Orphan, being published in 2017.
For more information, contact Dr. Doug Sonheim at [email protected] or (870) 245-5554.
By Katie Smith
March 15, 2018
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