We are honored to present:

A Phoenix native, Michael Collier has authored five books of poetry: The Clasp and Other Poems (Wesleyan, 1986), The Folded Heart (Wesleyan, 1989), The Neighbor (University of Chicago, 1995), The Ledge (Houghton Mifflin, 2000) and Dark Wild Realm (Houghton Mifflin, 2006); a collection of essays: Make Us Wave Back (University of Michigan, 2007) and a translation of Euripides’ Medea (Oxford University Press, 2006) with Georgia Machemer.

Collier is an associate professor of English at the University of Maryland, and director of the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference. He is also editor of The Wesleyan Tradition: Four Decades of American Poetry (Wesleyan, 1993) and several other poetry anthologies. He was poet laureate of Maryland from 2001 to 2004.


Maureen McHugh is most accurately described as a bunny on a spaceship or what would happen if the largest ball of rubber bands in the world was thrown off of Mount Everest. In addition to being a self-proclaimed hula-hooping champion, some of her lesser titles include Pushcart Prize Nominee and two time prize winner in the Jiminez Porter Prize contest. In the future she hopes to bring her hyperactive sensibilities to an MFA program in Arizona, California or Alabama, depending on which strikes her fancy. Her interests include rolling down hills, jumping on beds, and talking to strangers in airports

This is an open mic and a potluck.
Bring food and words.