Symposium draws renowned poetry critic
04/11/2003
NEW PALTZ -- On Thursday, April 24, the State University of New York at New Paltz welcomes renowned poetry critic Dr. Helen Vendler as the keynote speaker for the 15th annual English Graduate Symposium. From 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the College Terrace, the Harvard University Professor of English will offer critical responses to papers presented by eight New Paltz graduate students, following those remarks with a keynote address on the poetry of William Butler Yeats.
Having acted as judge for both the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry, Dr. Vendler will add her considerable insight to the graduate symposium titled "'This be the Verse': Poetry Past and Present." Following her keynote address, which begins at 7:30 p.m., there will be a question-and-answer period and a book signing.
Dr. Vendler is known for her ability to, as Tufts University President John DiBiaggio explains, bring "poetry out of an esoteric realm to a place where all may understand and appreciate its meaning and beauty."
Dr. Vendler has contributed articles and reviews to many prominent publications, including the New York Times Book Review and the London Review of Books. She also serves as the poetry critic for The New Yorker, a position she has held since 1978. In addition to these accomplishments, Dr. Vendler has been the author or editor of more than two dozen books.
This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Pauline Uchmanowicz at (845) 257-2755.
Note to Editors: A photograph of Dr. Helen Vendler may be downloaded from the SUNY New Paltz Web site at www.newpaltz.edu/news/images/vendler.html.
Located in the heart of a dynamic college town, 90 minutes from metropolitan New York City, the State University of New York at New Paltz is a highly selective college of about 8,000 undergraduate and graduate students.
One of the most well-regarded public colleges in the nation, New Paltz delivers an extraordinary number of majors in Business, Liberal Arts, Sciences, Engineering, Fine and Performing Arts and Education.
New Paltz embraces its culture as a community where talented and independent minded people from around the world create close personal links with real scholars and artists who love to teach.
