Financed by a graduate of the English Department, the Cardin Reading Series aims to make renowned authors and critics available to the University community.

“Every year we bring in 5 to 7 playwrights, authors, poets, novelists, really some famous people, literary critics too, and it’s free for the community to come and listen to these people read from their work,” says Professor Ben Grossberg, director of the creative writing program.

The speakers also visit classes, allowing for more interaction between the writer and the students.

“We just had Dorianne Laux, a nationally famous, award-winning poet, and it was great, she was energetic and kooky and strange…and deep,” said Grossberg. Laux visited two of his classes on Wednesday and conversed with the students about her work.

This year’s series features speakers who are quite well-known in the literary world from poets, to playwrights to literary critics.

“There’s some cool stuff coming in the spring, as well, including a tour, a student poetry tour – there’s a competition, so they’re award winning poets from all around the state.”

Grossberg said it was important to him that students are able to really interact with the visitors. “I went to Rutgers,” he said, “and we always had famous people come in, but I felt like I was watching them from behind glass.”

The Cardin Reading Series is free to the public. For more information, contact Prof. Grossberg at