John Ashbery, the English Department's 2010 Millett Writing Fellow, read from his poetry book Feb. 17 in Memorial Chapel. Ashbery has received a MacArthur Fellowship, two Guggenheims, the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, the Bollingen Prize, and the International Griffin Poetry Prize. He also is renowned for his art criticism and his translations from the French.
From left, Joe Bruno, vice president for Academic Affairs and provost; Cynthia Willauer; George Willauer ’57, professor of English emeritus at Connecticut College; and Bill Stowe, the Benjamin Waite Professor of the English Language, professor of English, mingle prior to Ashbery's poetry reading. Bill Stowe thanked the donors who established the annual Millett Visiting Writer event in honor of the late Fred Millett, professor of English, emeritus. Cynthia and George Willauer ’57 are two of the initial donors.
Anne Greene, director of the Wesleyan Writers Conference, director of Writing Programs and adjunct professor of English, enjoys Ashbery's reading.
Elizabeth Willis, the Shapiro-Silverberg Associate Professor of Creative Writing, associate professor of English, organized the event and welcomed John Ashbery to the stage.The audience enjoys Ashbery's reading. (Photos by Olivia Bartlett Drake)
Olivia Drake
Mike Mavredakis
Editorial Staff
Sarah Parke