NewsDec 18, 2018

Renée Watson headlines Winter Evening Reading Series

Hear acclaimed poets, authors, playwrights and YA writers from January 4 to 12

Headshot of author Renee Watson in a black shirt

Lesley University’s winter evening reading series will bring a variety of acclaimed authors to campus from Jan. 4 through Jan. 12 at Marran Theater, 34 Mellen St., Cambridge. All readings are free and open to the public.

Visiting author Renée Watson will headline the annual series. Eight of our faculty authors from the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing low-residency program will also read from their work in nonfiction, poetry, fiction, writing for stage and screen and writing for young people.

Watson is the award-winning author of the novels "Piecing Me Together," "This Side of Home," "What Momma Left Me," "Betty Before X," co-written with Ilyasah Shabazz, and two picture books, "Harlem’s Little Blackbird" and "A Place Where Hurricanes Happen." She will read from "Piecing Me Together" on Saturday, Jan. 5 at 6:30 p.m.

Faculty and visiting writer books are available for sale after each reading. The series concludes with three evenings of graduating student readings.

The full schedule is as follows:

Friday, Jan. 4 at 5 p.m.
Steven Cramer, poetry
Laurie Foos, fiction

Saturday, Jan. 5 at 6:30 p.m.
Renée Watson, guest reader, writing for young people

Sunday, Jan. 6 at 7 p.m.
Stephen Haven, poetry
Kate Snodgrass, stage and screen

Monday, Jan. 7 at 6:30 p.m.
Danielle Legros Georges, poetry
Chris Lynch, writing for young people

Wednesday, Jan. 9 at 7 p.m.
Jane Brox, nonfiction
Jason Reynolds, writing for young people

Thursday, Jan. 10 at 6:30 p.m. | Graduating Student Readings
Kyle Gregory, Rhiannon Houch, Jennifer Kudelka, Abigail C.K. Lill, Rahima Rice

Friday, Jan. 11 at 6:30 p.m. | Graduating Student Readings
Paul Astorino, Michelle Boland, John Doole, Kristina Fedeczko, Gabriella Irwin, Linda Kaufman, Elizabeth Rose

Saturday, Jan. 12 at 3:00 p.m. | Graduating Student Readings
Delyn Arey, Jo-Anne Hart, Livia Hermiz, Mundy McLaughlin, Liz Shick

Our MFA in Creative Writing holds two residencies per year, in January and June. Each residency offers a wide range of MFA faculty readings representing the program's literary genres as well as other acclaimed visiting writers.