The River Readings at Augustana
The River Readings at Augustana brings literary artists to campus each year from around the country and beyond. These writers of poetry, fiction, and literary nonfiction meet with students in class or other venues to discuss their work and careers, and present a reading open to the public.
Videos of the River Readings are archived on the Speakers page.
The readings are free and open to the public. Readings will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursdays in Wallenberg Hall inside Denkmann Hall, 3520 7th Ave., Rock Island.
On January 20, 2011, RR is excited to present a staged reading of Davenport native Susan Glaspell's short play Trifles. Directed by senior Bart Curtin, who is studying the play for research projects in the English and theatre departments, Trifles takes place at a murder scene where two women gather a different kind of evidence than the professional investigators. Curtin selected the play because it was written in the early 1900s as modernism was being born in the United States. Glaspell went on to win a Pulitzer Prize for her play Alison's House. Join us at River Readings for a stimulating reading experience. Curtin, the five actors, and theatre program director Jeff Coussens will lead a Q & A following the reading.
Reading Readings schedule:
Sept. 23
Simon Ortiz, poetry, fiction, and nonfiction
An award-winning and acclaimed poet, as well as short fiction and nonfiction prose writer, Simon Ortiz, Acoma Pueblo, was a leader in the Native American literary renaissance of the 1960s.
Oct. 14
Peggy Anderson, nonfiction
Augustana College alumna Peggy Anderson’s (’60) second book Nurse (1978), about the world of nursing as viewed through the eyes of one young nurse, was on the New York Times best-seller list for 30 weeks and is still in print. Nurse was also the basis for a CBS-TV series “Nurse” starring Michael Learned and Robert Reed. She is currently writing about a hospice nurse.
Jan. 20
Reading of Davenport native Susan Glaspell's short play Trifles by student members of the Theatre Department
March 24
Molly McNett, short fiction
Winner of the 2008 John Simmons Award from the University of Iowa Press for her story collection One Dog Happy, Molly McNett is at work on a novel.
April 14
Dora Malech, poetry
A former teaching fellow at Augustana, Dora Malech is the author of two collections of poetry, Shore Ordered Shore and Say So (October 2010).
The River Readings series is sponsored by the Office of Academic Affairs, the Institute for Leadership and Service, the Thomas Tredway Library and the English Department at Augustana College. River Readings committee members are Margi Rogal, coordinator, Kelly Daniels, Farah Marklevits and Rebecca Wee
For more information, contact Margaret Rogal, Augustana College; (309) 794-7823.
