Poet Edward Hirsch to Read at Smith

Smith College will present a reading by poet Edward Hirsch at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 12, in Weinstein Auditorium, Wright Hall. The event is free and open to the public.

Since his arrival on the poetry scene 30 years ago, Hirsch has risen steadily to prominence, not only among poets and poetry lovers but also—thanks to his bestselling literary user’s manual, “How to Read a Poem and Fall in Love with Poetry”—among a general readership.

Exceptionally tender, intelligent and deeply musical, his poems have garnered him fellowships from the MacArthur, Guggenheim and National Endowment foundations, among other awards.

His collections of poems include “Wild Gratitude” (1986), “On Love” (1998) and, most recently, “The Living Fire: New and Selected Poems.” He’s also published five books of nonfiction and serves as series editor of The Writer’s Word (Trinity University Press).

A native of Chicago, Hirsch has taught at Wayne State and the University of Houston, and now resides in New York, where he serves as a chancellor for the Academy of American Poets and president of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.

Hirsch’s reading will be followed by a book sale and signing. For further information, contact Michaela Cahillane in the Poetry Center office at (413) 585-4891 or Ellen Doré Watson, Poetry Center director, at (413) 585-3368.

For disability access information or to request accommodations, call (413) 585-2407. To request a sign language interpreter specifically, call (413) 585-2071 (voice or TTY) or e-mail ODS@smith.edu. All requests must be made at least 10 days prior to the event.