WEBVTT

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--reading.

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Next Wednesday here there
will be a reading by four

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of the current MFA
candidates who will

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be graduating this semester.

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The four people
who will be reading

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are Becky Byrkit, Gill
Donovan, Andrea Kaiser,

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and Teresa Terry.

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So definitely try
to come and hear

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some of the work
that's being done here,

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and you won't be
disappointed, I'm sure.

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After the reading,
there'll be books

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for sale, compliments
of the ASUA

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bookstore out in the corridor.

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We have two of Toi's books,
Captivity and Empress

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of the Death House.

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And Empress of the Death House
is being sold as a wondrous

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bargain book, the
price is only $3.50,

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and with your ASUA
discount, it's only $3.30.

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So it's really a great
chance to get a book bargain,

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and you won't
regret it, I'm sure.

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I'm delighted to be able
to introduce and welcome

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Toi Derricotte to you tonight.

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She is originally from
Detroit, Michigan,

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has published three
collections of poetry,

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Natural Birth, The Empress
of the Death House,

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and most recently, Captivity,
from the University

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of Pittsburgh Press.

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Of Natural Birth,
Adrienne Rich has

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said, her words touch
the reader as life

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has touched her, soul and body.

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This is a strong, sensuous,
original, courageous book.

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Since 1974, when
her family became

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one of the first
Black families to move

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into upper Montclair,
New Jersey,

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Toi Derricotte has
also been working

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on The Black Notebooks, a work
of autobiographical prose.

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She's won a number of
national distinctions,

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including two fellowships
from the National

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Endowment for the Arts, a
Pushcart Prize, and the Folger

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Shakespeare Library Poetry
Committee Book Award,

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among her other honors.

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They ought to shorten
the name of that award.

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Toi writes poems of emotional
necessity and power.

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She's a wonderful
presence to have among us.

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Please welcome Toi Derricotte.

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[APPLAUSE]

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