Mississippi’s Poet Laureate Catherine Pierce and Millsaps alumnus Thomas Richardson will read from their poetry and sign books at Millsaps College at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, April 8. The location will be the Richardson Garden between the Christian Center and Murrah Hall.
Pierce is the author of four books and has had her poetry published in many journals and anthologies including The Best American Poetry, The Southern Review, Ploughshares, and the 2019 and 2021 Pushcart Prize anthologies. Her essays have appeared in The New York Times, Cincinnati Review, and other publications. She was named a National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellow in 2019. Pierce is professor of English and co-director of the creative writing program at Mississippi State University. Her photo is courtesy Mississippi State University.
Richardson grew up in Columbus, MS, and currently teaches at the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science there. He is a graduate of Millsaps College and holds master’s degrees from Vanderbilt University and Mississippi University for Women. His poetry, which focuses on teaching and learning, religion, and the South, has been published in many journals and magazines. He has also served as an editor for Ponder Review and Dirty Paws and Poetry Review. Richardson’s photo is by Chris Jenkins.
The reading is free and open to the public and is part of the Millsaps Spring Alumni Weekend. Copies of each poet’s books will be available for purchase and refreshments will be served. Sponsored by the Millsaps Visiting Writers Series, the program is co-sponsored by the Millsaps Office of Alumni Relations and the Eudora Welty Foundation.