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Slam Poet to Headline WT’s Patterson Poetry Series Nov. 3
Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu
CANYON, Texas — An internationally touring slam poet will headline the next installment of West Texas A&M University’s Dorothy Patterson Poetry Series.
Ray McNiece, called a “modern-day descendant of Woody Guthrie” by the Orlando Sentinel, will perform at 7 p.m. Nov. 3 in Legacy Hall inside the Jack B. Kelley Student Center on WT’s Canyon campus. Admission is free.
McNiece is an award-winning poet, singer, songwriter and actor, the former writer-in-residence at the Jack Kerouac House, and the Grand Slam Champion at the Arkansas Celebration of the Arts. He has captained two National Championship Poetry Slam teams and is the winner of the Hart Crane Award.
He toured Italy with the late poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, was featured on “Good Morning Russia” with the late Russian poet and novelist Yevgeny Yevtushenko, and has performed in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines.
Most recently, he was given the Cleveland Arts Price Lifetime Achievement Award.
“Ray is the first performance poet to be featured in the Patterson Poetry Series, and we expect a dynamic evening that will electrify our audiences,” said series organizer Dr. Eric Meljac, assistant professor of English and director of creative writing.
McNiece will sign copies of his books following the event.
For information, call 806-651-2486.
Fostering an appreciation of the arts is a key principle of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World. That plan is fueled by the historic, $125 million One West comprehensive fundraising campaign.
About West Texas A&M University
WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 60 undergraduate degree programs, 40 master’s degrees and two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.
—WTAMU—