NWS Seeks Volunteer Assistants

The New Writing Series seeks one or more volunteer assistants for the 2009-2010 academic year. Duties will include conducting background research on past, present, and upcoming writers; helping maintain electronic mailing lists; some website and blogging work (will train); cataloging an extensive audio-visual archive from previous seasons; organizing a Series-related poetry library; and assisting with on-campus visits and event coordination. Job requires good research, interpersonal, and organizational skills, and the ability to work independently. Volunteers will be expected to commit between three to five hours a week to the position. Though this is an uncompensated position, students will gain valuable experience in literary research and programming, and will have access to a wide spectrum of visiting writers and events. To learn more about this opportunity, contact NWS coordinator Steve Evans at steven dot evans at maine dot edu, or on First Class.

Fall 2009 Preview

The New Writing Series marks its tenth anniversary this fall and to celebrate we’ve put together an exciting seven-event lineup that combines return visits from poets Rae Armantrout, Bill Berkson, and Elizabeth Willis, with first time appearances by poets Mei-mei Berssenbrugge, Dan Beachy-Quick, Douglas Rothschild, and fiction writer Selah Saterstrom. More details to follow, but for now, we invite you to mark your calendars for

17 Sep   Mei-mei Berssenbrugge
01 Oct   Rae Armantrout
22 Oct   Bill Berkson
29 Oct   Elizabeth Willis
05 Nov   Dan Beachy-Quick
12 Nov   Douglas Rothschild
19 Nov   Selah Saterstrom – Hill Auditorium, Barrows Hall

All events are free and open to the public. Readings take place on Thursday afternoons at 4:30pm in the Soderberg Center Auditorium in Jenness Hall (except where otherwise noted). If you have a disability that may require accommodation for a NWS event, please contact Ann Smith in the office of Disability Support Service, 121 East Annex, 581-2319 (Voice) or 581-2311 (TDD).

The UMaine New Writing Series is sponsored by the English Department and the National Poetry Foundation with support from the Lloyd H. Elliott Fund, the Milton Ellis Memorial Fund, the Cultural Affairs/Distinguished Lecture Series Committee, and the Honors College. Grateful acknowledgment is made to the University of Maine Pulp & Paper Foundation for the use of the Soderberg Center.