Sarah Kay signing copies of her books – Photo by Cristian Zacharias
By Grace Palazzolo, Reporter
The Contemporary Writers Series (CWS) celebrated its thirtieth anniversary by welcoming poet and author Sarah Kay back to Aquinas College. Kay, who previously visited Aquinas in 2015, was the first of three invited guest speakers for this year’s series. All three guests have presented at CWS in the past, making this year’s anniversary an opportunity to celebrate both the history of the series and its continuing literary community.
Kay is a poet from New York City who has performed at TED Talks and earned a Master of Arts in teaching. She is also the founder of Project VOICE and has published five poetry collections. Her extensive experience as a poet and educator made her a fitting guest for the anniversary celebration.
Kay’s visit included two events on campus. The first was a Craft Talk held from 1-2 p.m. in the Loutit Room. Later that evening, Kay spoke from 6-8 p.m. in the Wege Ballroom. Both events gave students and community members an opportunity to hear Kay speak about poetry and experience her work firsthand.
For Kay, the appeal of returning to CWS comes from the people who attend.
“It is a promise of a room full of people who are excited about poetry and listening to poetry,” Kay said.
Kay also described CWS as “a really beautiful tradition, an impressive legacy and a welcoming community.”
The welcoming atmosphere of the series was evident throughout both events. Attendees were engaged with Kay’s presentation, laughing at her jokes and responding to her poetry. Following the evening event, a long line formed as attendees waited for the opportunity to have Kay sign their books.
Sarah Kay and Aquinas Librarian, Christina Radisauskas smiling for photos with students – Photo by Cristian Zacharias
“I hope they were entertained and were moved,” Kay said when asked what she hoped people would take away from her talk.
For students and faculty involved with CWS, the series represents more than simply an opportunity to hear visiting writers. “Hear amazing writers around amazing people, and those people supporting the writers,” said Dr. Erika Gotfredson when asked to describe a CWS event.
The series also gives students the chance to experience literature in a variety of forms and perspectives. “See how literature works in various forms and how they can see the world in interesting ways,” said Gotfredson. She hopes that more people will get involved with WCS.
The thirtieth anniversary celebration continued with cake, giving attendees another opportunity to gather and celebrate the long-standing tradition of CWS at Aquinas.
With two more guest speakers scheduled as part of the anniversary series, students can look forward to more opportunities to hear from visiting writers. Gotfredson said students should expect “more amazing literature and a good community” from the remaining guests.
After 30 years, CWS continues to bring writers and readers together at Aquinas, creating a space where students and community members can experience literature, hear new perspectives and share an appreciation for writing.
