civil war

In a notably measured style, Jorie Graham reads poems that would be published the following year in her fourth book, Region of Unlikeness (1991). She also reads an early draft of a long poem, "Manifest Destiny," which would later be collected in Materialism (1993).

Stephen Dunn and Dave Smith read from their poems.

Robert Houston reads from the manuscript of a novel in progress with the working title The Book of the South, about Reconstruction era Alabama. He dedicates this reading to the memory of Cecil Robinson, former chairman of the University of Arizona English Department.

Kiki Petrosino reads poems from Hymn for the Black Terrific (2013), Witch Wife (2017), and Black Genealogy (2017).

January Gill O'Neil reads from Glitter Road (2024), as well as from Rewilding (2018) and newer poems. Many of the poems emerge from a residency in Oxford, Mississippi, and the visible reminders of racial violence and white supremacy that persist there. Other prominent themes include the joy of romantic relationships, water, and the present experiences of Black Americans.