To celebrate National Poetry Month and conclude our Scholarship@Villanova lecture series for the spring, Falvey Memorial Library welcomes three poets: Joseph Lennon, Ph.D., Mary Madec, Ph.D., and Nathalie Anderson, Ph.D. The three poets will read from their respective new books of poetry on Wednesday, Apr. 13, 2011, at 4:30 p.m. in the library first floor lounge.

Dr. Lennon recently released his first volume of poetry, Fell Hunger (Salmon Poetry), and will read from this collection. “They are sonnets mostly,” he says, gathered from 20 years of writing. He writes about Ireland, he explains, in large part due to his childhood. “I grew up in an Irish-American household and was always interested in Ireland, but after living there for a year, following my B.A., I grew more interested.”

He went on to focus on Irish literature in his graduate work, and now serves as director of the Irish Studies program at Villanova University. Of his first year at Villanova, he says, “It has been really busy, but very satisfying. I really enjoy the open space on the campus (coming from NYC), as well, of course, as the openness of the community here. The students are smart and interested in new ideas, and I try to bring them to them. The administration, faculty and students have been really supportive of any new initiative I’ve begun—that is also really welcoming.”

Among his current favorite poets, Dr. Lennon lists Seamus Heaney, Elizabeth Bishop, Emily Dickinson, Moya Cannon, Giacomo Leopardi, Walt Whitman, Daniel Tobin, Eamon Grennan, Eleanor Wilner and Robert Frost, as well as fellow Villanova faculty member Lisa Sewell and Wednesday evening’s additional poets, Nathalie Anderson and Mary Madec.

Especially for students interested in poetry, he recommends reading widely. “I think taste is individual but achievement is always recognizable. I love to read poets from my area, and poets I know, poets with an Irish connection, and I’d recommend that our students read one another as well as the greats!”

In addition to being the new director of the Irish studies program, Dr. Lennon is an associate professor in the English department at Villanova.  Dr. Madec is the director of the Villanova study abroad program at the National University Of Ireland, Galway. Dr. Anderson is the director of the program in creative writing and a professor in the department of English literature at Swarthmore College. She also currently serves as poet in residence at the Rosenbach Museum and Library.

The event is free and open to the public. Copies of the authors’ books will be available for sale and signing.