Patrick Rosal to Read and Deliver Lecture at Smith

Smith College will present a reading by acclaimed poet Patrick Rosal at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, February 7, in Stoddard Hall Auditorium.

Rosal will also give a lecture, titled “The Art of the Mistake,” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, February 9, in the Poetry Center, Wright Hall. Both events are free and open to the public.

An award-winning author and riveting performer, Rosal thrills with his speed, tenderness and daring, according to critics. The political and personal are inextricably twined in his poems, which can’t help singing, shocking or instructing. Blending a New Jersey childhood with his Filipino heritage, Rosal brings irrepressible heart and intelligence to tales of love, violence and identity. Writer Junot Diaz pronounced Rosal’s thrilling debut, “Uprock Headspin Scramble and Dive,” a book from whose pages you’ll emerge shaken, heartbroken, annealed, made new.”

Publishers Weekly described “My American Kundiman,” his second collection, as “fast-paced and self-assured,” noting that it reflects “a mélange of precedents—Allen Ginsberg, Gwendolyn Brooks, a bevy of hip-hop artists, and Filipino traditions.” The son of immigrants, Rosal is a life-long amateur musician. In the late 80s and early 90s, he produced music for Metropolitan Recording Corporation, working with acts like April Kelly, Laissez Faire and Joey Gold.

Rosal is a recipient of the Association of Asian American Studies Book Award, the Global Filipino Literary Award and the Members’ Choice Award, as well as a Fulbright Fellowship to the Philippines.

In addition to the February 7 reading and the February 9 lecture, Rosal will offer Smith students workshops and conferences during a week-long residence. His visit to the Pioneer Valley is made possible by a generous gift from Smith alumna Tammis Day. Rosal’s reading will be followed by a book sale and signing. For further information, contact Jennifer Blackburn in the Poetry Center office at (413) 585-4891 or Ellen Doré Watson, Poetry Center director, at (413) 585-3368.

For disability access information or to request accommodations, call (413) 585-2407. To request a sign language interpreter specifically, call (413) 585-2071 (voice or TTY) or e-mail ODS@smith.edu. All requests must be made at least 10 days prior to the event.