ATHENS, Ohio (Sept. 30, 2004) -- Poet James Harms will read from his work at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 6, in Galbreath Chapel on the Athens campus of Ohio University. The reading is presented by the Program in Creative Writing of the Department of English and is free and open to the public.
Uncovering the extraordinary in the commonplace is the thrust of Harms' work. His most recent collection, "Freeways and Aqueducts," navigates through the broken, beautiful landscapes of the west to understand the machinery of Los Angeles, and then returns to his home in the east, where dim October light presses down upon memory.
Harms' previous collection, "Quarters" is a collection of meditations on a piece of common currency, triggering a series of poignant reflections in which, as noted by the The Virginia Quarterly Review, "everyday scenes are transformed into the magical and sometimes brutal by Harms' careful eye... Harms leads the reader through each of these compelling vignettes with craft and compassion. In his hands, the everyday is hardly banal."
Harms' other publications include "Modern Ocean" and "The Joy Addict," which was awarded the PEN/Revson Foundation Fellowship. He also has received grants from the West Virginia and Pennsylvania art commissions, and residencies from the MacDowell Colony and Yaddo. Harms is the director of the creative writing program at West Virginia University in Morgantown, W.Va.
A brief reception and book signing will immediately follow the reading. For more information, contact the Office of Special Programs of the Department of English at 593-4181.
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Media Contact: Jean Cunningham, (740) 593-4181 or cunningh@ohio.edu
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