Abstract design with swirling lines resembling a tree and waves within a circle. A vertical text on the left reads "Books in Visual Directions." The color scheme includes black, blue, and orange elements on a white background.
Literary Arts Institute

2007-2008 Academic Year

January 1, 2008
A black-and-white portrait of an older person with short hair, looking directly at the camera. One hand is touching their cheek, and the other rests gently on their shoulder. The expression is thoughtful and calm.

Fanny Howe is the author of more than twenty novels and books of poetry and prose. She has won awards from the National Endowment of the Arts, the National Poetry Foundation, the California Council for the Arts, and the Village Voice.

Woman with short gray hair wearing glasses and a black turtleneck smiles while tilting her head slightly. She is also wearing a scarf with black and pink patterns. The background is a neutral gray color.

Fawzia Afzal-Khan April 10, 2008

Fawzia Afzal-Khan will be reading from her book Shattering the Stereotypes: Muslim Women Speak Out. She is a professor at Montclair State University. This event was cosponsored by the Literary Arts Institute of the College of Saint Benedict and Global Awareness Lecture Series.

Black and white photo of an older person with short, light hair and a gentle smile, wearing a collared shirt. The background is blurred and appears to be outdoors.

W.S. Merwin April 24, 2008

This public reading is cosponsored by Project LOGOS: The Center for Creative Writing.

A person with short dark brown hair is looking towards the camera with a neutral expression. They are wearing a gray top. The background is softly blurred, focusing attention on the individual.

Sylvia Nasar March 3, 2008

Sylvia Nasar is the award-winning author of A Beautiful Mind, a professor of business journalism at Columbia University, and a former columnist and economics correspondent for The New York Times, Fortune, and U.S. News and World Report.

Abstract design with swirling lines resembling a tree and waves within a circle. A vertical text on the left reads "Books in Visual Directions." The color scheme includes black, blue, and orange elements on a white background.
Canon Inc

A Winter’s Interlude: Taking Books in Visual Directions Jan. 23, 2008

Featuring Jim Moore, Regula Russelle, CB Sherlock, Elaine Rutherford, Rachel Melis, Steven Lemke, and Anna Boyer. This event was hosted by Clemens Library and the Literary Arts Institute of the College of Saint Benedict.

A person with curly hair smiles softly while looking at the camera. Their skin has a natural glow, and they are standing against a gray background.

Tracy K. Smith Oct. 30, 2007

Tracy K. Smith’s second book Duende (Graywolf Press, 2007) won the James Laughlin Award from the Academy of American Poets. She has received awards and fellowhips from the Rona Jaffe Foundation, the Ludwig Vogelstein Foundation, the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, and the Whiting Foundation.

A woman with shoulder-length gray hair, wearing a dark patterned top, gazes softly at the camera. The background is dark, highlighting her gentle expression.

Marilynne Robinson Sep. 26, 2007

Heritage Day Speaker