Acclaimed poets to visit UC Clermont

The UC Clermont College Poetry Series will welcome two authors to the college’s Batavia campus this winter.

Poet Matt McBride will visit the college Feb. 19. McBride received his doctorate from the University of Cincinnati, his master of fine arts from Bowling Green State University and his bachelor’s degree from Capital University. He specializes in composition and creative writing. McBride’s first book, “City of Incandescent Light,” was published by Black Lawrence Press in May 2018. He is the recipient of a Devine Fellowship, a George Elliston Fellowship, an Ohio Arts Council Grant and a Writers in the Heartland residency. His poetry has appeared in Another Chicago Review, Cream City Review, Fence, Forklift, Ohio, The Mississippi Review, Packingtown Review and The Pinch. Currently, he is an English instructor at Wilson College.

McBride will be on hand Feb. 19 for a Q&A and writing workshop at 9:30 a.m., followed by a reading, book signing and reception at 11 a.m. in the Snyder building, Room 142.

On March 25, UC Clermont will welcome poet Allison Pitinii Davis. Davis is the author of “Line Study of a Motel Clerk” (Baobab Press, 2017), a finalist for the Ohioana Book Award and the National Jewish Book Award’s Berru Award, and “Poppy Seeds” (Kent State University Press, 2013), winner of the Wick Poetry Chapbook Prize. She holds fellowships from Stanford University’s Wallace Stegner program, the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown and the Severinghaus Beck Fund for Study at Vilnius Yiddish Institute. Her poetry has appeared in Best American Poetry 2016, The New Republic, Crazyhorse, The Missouri Review and elsewhere. She is a doctoral student at the University of Tennessee, where she serves as a poetry editor at Grist.

Davis will hold a discussion with students March 25 at 8 a.m., writing workshop at 9 a.m., and a reading, book signing and reception at 10:10 a.m., all in the UC Clermont library, located in the Peters-Jones building.

“The UC Clermont Poetry Series has been bringing local and national poets to the college for more than 10 years to read from their work, talk with audiences and conduct master classes,” said Phoebe Reeves, associate professor of English. “We’re excited this spring to be bringing two native Ohio poets, and also UC alums, to campus to share their work with our students. Ohio is lucky to have such a deep array of poetic talent in its communities.”

UC Clermont is located at 4200 Clermont College Drive, Batavia, Ohio 45103.