Poetry Reading by Lees-McRae Professor, Melissa Mercer: A Stephenson Center for Appalachia Lecture

If you are looking for a safe way to spend Halloween, sheltered from ghosts and goblins, come to Lees-McRae College for a poetry reading by English professor, Melissa Mercer, as part of the Stephenson Center for Appalachia Lecture Series.

Mercer will read her work starting at 7 p.m. on Oct. 31 in Cannon Student Center’s Evans Auditorium.

Mercer, who is also the director of learning systems and research at Lees-McRae, earned her MFA in Creative Writing and Poetry from West Virginia University where she won the Russell MacDonald Creative Writing Award in Poetry for two years running.

She has published a poetry book, Saint of the Partial Apology this year, and several chapbooks, Star-Blind in the Family of Fortune Keepers, My Own Strange Beast, and Storm Was Her Voice.

Her second full-length poetry book, Knock, will be available next year.

“We invite everyone to join us for an evening with this talented young poet. Her work evokes strong emotions through vivid imagery that is sure to enlighten and entertain you,” Director of the Stephenson Center for Appalachia, Dr. Michael Joslin, said.

Stephenson Center lectures are free and open to the public. For information, contact Michael Joslin at joslin@lmc.edu.