A poetic experience overtook Old Main Chapel on March 31 for students, faculty and the public.
As a part of the 2015 Taggart Reading series, poet Maria Mazziotti Gillan visited Shippensburg University to share her work. Gillan is a professor of English at Binghamton University in-State University of New York and director of the Binghamton Center for Writers. She is also the recipient of numerous awards for her work, including the 2008 American Book Award for “All That Lies Between Us.”
Students, faculty and friends, along with literary clubs and classes, gathered to listened to Gillan’s words. The university’s John Taggart Poetry Reading Fund, the Women’s Center and The Reflector, the campus’s undergraduate arts journal, sponsored the evening.
“She’s a very much honored poet,” Paul Deichmann, a senior, who introduced Gillan and assisted with event, said. “Her writing is incredibly striking and personal; it’s natural and strikes the core, he added.
Gillan became interested in poetry at an early stage in life. She began writing when she was 9 years old and was first published at 13 years old.
“I tried to imitate what my teachers read,” Gillan said. “I always wrote and always wanted to write. I love writing, creating programs and teaching aside from my children and grandchildren, also. I do things that don’t seem like work, because I love doing them.”
Gillan shared many samples of her writing during the night. The focus of her poems relies on her family and the personal experiences she encountered throughout her life.
Her poems “Arturo,” “Growing up Italian” and “The Blue-footed Booby Mates for Life” grabbed the attention of the audience and many students appreciated them.
“She did a great job and I really liked it,” said Katie Long, a SU student in attendance for her cCreative nNonfiction wWriting class. “I am not sure what I was expecting, but she talked about her life and it was a good connection.”
To learn more about Maria Mazziotti Gillan and her work as a poet, visit her website at mariagillan.com.
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