Students celebrate literature, poetry

By: Nila Hall

Posted: 4/16/07

The Undergraduate English Council, as well as Number One student literary magazine, kicked off Literature for Life week April 9. "Guerilla Poetry" led the week of events.

All over campus, participating students randomly accosted other students and read poetry to them.

They also wrote poetry in chalk on the Quad, although the rain had almost washed it away.

Open Mic Night was another Lit for Life event. It took place at Pizza 51.

Students and faculty shared their works of poetry and short fiction, and their favorite passages from other authors.

One student read a passage from the novel "Welcome to the Monkey House" to honor the author Kurt Vonnegut, who died April 11.

Other students read profound poetry - some heartwarming, others sad.

One student's short story, entitled "Moral Authority," was about a teenage boy who goes to camp and is looking for quality porn.

Also part of Literature for Life week was the Undergraduate Symposium, which took place Saturday at the Diastole House, 2501 Holmes Road.

The keynote speaker was Professor Michelle Boisseau, Ph.D., who is the coordinator of UMKC's creative writing program and teaches poetry and contemporary literature.

Whether the students were English majors or not, they had an opportunity to present papers from any English class, including expository writing, literature and creative writing.

The symposium was broken into sessions with topics such as Emily Dickens, American literature and early British literature.

The week of events offered a great opportunity for students and faculty to share literature.

nhall@unews.com