At Sierra Nevada College's new Poetry Center grand opening event March 28-29, 2014, the college will be hosting Poet Laureate of California Juan Felipe Herrera and award-winning poet Jane Hirshfield for public readings and workshops. Reception at 5:30pm in Prim Library on the campus, readings at 6:45pm. Jane Hirshfield and Patricia Smith will hold workshops on Saturday morning. Open Mic on Saturday night.
Sierra Nevada College’s new Poetry Center promotes an appreciation of contemporary poetry among SNC students and community members while providing support for current and emerging poets. The Poetry Center represents a wide and diverse collection of poetry including voices that have not often been heard in the region. Located within Prim Library, the Poetry Center complements the college’s existing academic programs including the Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing and Bachelor of Arts in English by affording SNC students access to the center’s collection and programs. The college is also fortunate to have well-known and published poets as faculty, including Brian Turner, Patricia Smith, June Saraceno, Laura Wetherington, and Jared Stanley.The library is open to the general public and offers free library access to all local and Nevada residents.
The Poetry Center is made possible through a grant awarded by the Nevada State Library and Archives and the Institute for Museum and Library Studies. In addition to more than 500 volumes of poetry supplied by the grant, the center also received a large donation of volumes — approximately 3,000 — making the collection one of the largest of contemporary American poetry in the region. For more information go here or email: librar@sierranevada.edu