News from the Division of Languages and Literature

"How do we know when a photographer caters to life and not to some previous prejudice?" Cole challenges the viewer to take a critical look at the iconic photography of Steve McCurry.

Long Soldier is noted by the award committee for her "trenchant, beautiful ... writing about the relationship between official political speech and literature’s capacity to write back."

Cole Heinowitz talks about translating the poetry of Mario Santiago Papasquiaro in the new collection of his work, Beauty Is Our Spiritual Guernica.

Bard College announces the appointment of esteemed writer Dinaw Mengestu as professor of written arts and director of the Written Arts Program. Mengestu, who joins the faculty in fall 2016, will teach fiction workshops, among other courses, through the Division of Languages and Literature. In his role as director, Mengestu will provide leadership in the Written Arts Program, whose core faculty comprises distinguished writers of poetry, fiction, drama, and nonfiction—including Mary Caponegro, Teju Cole, Robert Kelly, Porochista Khakpour, Ann Lauterbach, Joseph O’Neill, Luc Sante, and Mona Simpson, among many others.

On Monday, April 4, Rick Moody—the celebrated author of Garden State, The Ice Storm, The Ring of Brightest Angels Around Heaven, Purple America, The Black Veil: A Memoir with Digressions, and other books—reads from his new novel, Hotels of North America. The Wall Street Journal writes, “Rick Moody is one of the most prodigiously talented writers in America.” Moody will be introduced by novelist and Bard literature professor Bradford Morrow. The reading, presented as part of Morrow’s Innovative Contemporary Fiction Reading Series, takes place at 2:30 p.m. in Weis Cinema, Bertelsmann Campus Center, and will be followed by a Q&A. The event is free and open to the public; no reservations are required.

On Thursday, March 31, celebrated poet Michael Ives, visiting assistant professor of the humanities at Bard, will read from his work. The reading is presented by the John Ashbery Poetry Series. A jazz musician, an innovator in the field of text in performance, and recipient of the Academy of American Poets Prize and Lillian Fairchild Award, Ives is also the founding member and composer of the sound/text performance trio F’loom and the author of Wavetable (Dr. Cicero Books) and The External Combustion Engine (Futurepoem). 

Pulitzer Prize–winning Indian American author Jhumpa Lahiri moves her family to Rome to pursue a love affair with the Italian language.

On March 3, The Other Stories visited Bard to record and podcast a live reading by Bard student writers. Listen to works by Johanna Costigan '17, Cleo Egnal '17, and Anna Sones '18.

Derek Furr, Master of Arts in Teaching Program director and associate professor of literature, discusses Semitones, a collection of poetry and short fiction.

The sixth annual Berkshire Festival of Women Writers will offer 33 events spanning nine days, and will host approximately 1,000 audience members across numerous Berkshire venues, March 12–20.