There's one right here.
All right.
And Steve still got one on the first row over here.
I'm asked to remind you that smoking is not
allowed in the auditorium.
In addition to our regular daily hours,
the Poetry Center is open on Sunday afternoon
from 1:00 to 4:00, Thursday evening from 7:00 to 10:00.
Our attendance on Thursday evening has not been too great,
and we're afraid we'll have to close down
if you don't start using it.
So send a few people over to read their library books
so we can stay open.
Our next visiting poet be James Wright
in this auditorium, February 21st.
It's three weeks from tonight.
We plan to have a student open reading two weeks from tonight,
February 14th in the terrace lounge of the Student Union.
We invite everyone who is interested to read.
We've had a lot of inquiries.
So we anticipate 30 to 40 people wanting to read.
And we will have to limit the time of each reader.
That's two weeks from tonight in the terrace lounge.
William Stafford read for us last spring.
And he has returned to Arizona, the Poetry in the Schools
program.
He will be reading at Pima College tomorrow
night at 8:30 in the East dining Hall,
Building A. It's very simple to find
once you get on the campus.
It's the southern buildings.
If you go in the mall, it's on the South side.
And that reading is open to the public without charge.
It's difficult to introduce a colleague and friend.
Steve Orlen has been with us since 1967.
I'm sure you're here because you know his work and enjoy it.
And you're anxious to hear him read.
But I would like to tell you some of the vital statistics.
He comes from Massachusetts, received his advanced work
at the University of Iowa and the creative writing workshop.
His most recent honor was from Poetry Magazine
where he won the George Dillon Memorial Prize
for poems appearing last year.
His work appears frequently in such publications
as Poetry, The Atlantic Monthly, Ironwood, and Beloit.
It's my pleasure to welcome our friend, Steve Orlen.
[APPLAUSE]