the Scott Stein

David R. Slavitt will read from his books Change of Address: Poems New and Selected and William Henry Harrison and Other Poems. The reading will be held at Drexel University on Wednesday, November 29th, at 1 p.m. in the University Club (sixth floor of MacAlister Hall at 33rd and Chestnut Streets, Philadelphia). It is free and open to the public, so bring a friend.

David R. Slavitt is the author of eighteen volumes of poetry in addition to his many translations from collections from Latin, Greek, Hebrew, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. His translation of the Theban Plays of Sophocles is published by Yale University Press, available in March of 2007. His nonfiction includes a book on Virgil (also published by Yale) and Physicians Observed, Doubleday, as well as his account of running for office, Blue States Blues, published in April 2006 by Wesleyan University Press. He is the author of eighty-seven books, and is the recipient of an Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Slavitt, who now lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, will also read on November 28 at 7 p.m. at Drexel University in the Per Contra Celebration. The reading on the 28th will be in The Anthony J. Drexel Gallery on the Third Floor of the Main Building at 32nd and Chestnut Streets. Other readers that night are: Richard Burgin, Paula Marantz Cohen, Daniel Hoffman, Lynn Levin, and Elaine Terranova. Per Contra: The International Journal of the Arts, Literature and Ideas is published quarterly online. The reading and book signings are free and open to the public.

The reading on the 29th is sponsored by Drexel University's Certificate Program in Writing and Publishing in the Department of English and Philosophy, Drexel's College of Arts and Sciences, and Magnificent Minds, who, with the Drexel Collection, also join with Per Contra in sponsoring the reading on the 28th.

I got the below e-mail from a former student who graduated last year. Because this post seems self-serving (even to me), let me be clear: I claim no credit for Julia Curcio's accomplishments--she could already write really well when she first came to my creative writing class, had studied with others and developed her substantial talent on her own. I just told her how good she was, gave her some things to think about, and taught her how to submit her work for publication. Obviously, as a teacher, I take some pleasure in being told that my class is appreciated by a student and in seeing a student succeed beyond school, just as you (I hope) take some pleasure in your work. I know that creative writing classes are maligned in some quarters (and sometimes for good reason, no doubt). Whether or not creative writing can be taught and whether or not there is value in formal instruction are questions I intend to address at some point.

Anyway, congratulations to Julia Curcio, a talented writer just beginning. We can all remember that first acceptance letter. I have a feeling she'll be receiving more of them.

Professor Stein,

I was in your Creative Writing class at Drexel last Spring term. I'm writing to you to brag that a story I wrote for your class called "The Mustache" is being considered for publication in The Apple Valley Review and that I just received an acceptance letter for my original short story "The Knitting Madonna" in The Liguorian (my first published story!).

I just wanted to write and say "thank you" because I basically learned how to start sending out submissions in your Creative Writing class and you gave us (what I learned) was really good advice. I got a bunch of rejections (and I know I'll keep getting them) for months and when I got this acceptance letter today it was insanely exciting. So thanks a lot for that workshop you gave us on how to get started and what to expect. I really learned a lot and I'm really happy to take the first baby steps to being a "real" writer.

I am keeping an eye out for your book Mean Martin Manning and I hope things are going well at Drexel!

Sincerely,
Julia Curcio

Note: Julia gave permission to use her e-mail on this blog.