Former Mississippi Poet Laureate to Speak at ASUMH on Oct. 1

Beth Ann Fennelly, who served as Mississippi's poet laureate from 2016 to 2021, will present the next Terre Ware Author Lecture at Arkansas State University-Mountain Home on Thursday, Oct. 1. The event will take place at 7 p.m. in the Trout Room of the Vada Sheid Community Development Center.

The session includes a lecture and a question-and-answer segment with the audience. Attendees can join the event for free, and no tickets are required. Copies of Fennelly’s books will also be available for purchase on-site.

Fennelly, who is a professor in the MFA program at the University of Mississippi, has received accolades for her teaching, including being named outstanding teacher of the year. Her latest book, *The Irish Goodbye: Micro-Memoirs*, was published in February by W.W. Norton. The work addresses themes ranging from childhood memories to unique cultural observations, showcasing stories of her personal life as a wife, mother, and writer.

Her previous works include 2018’s *Heating & Cooling: 52 Micro-Memoirs*, which blends the abbreviated style of poetry with the expressive truth of nonfiction. She has also authored three poetry collections published by Norton—*Open House*, *Tender Hooks*, and *Unmentionables*. Beyond poetry, Fennelly has written the essay collection *Great With Child: Letters to a Young Mother* and co-authored the novel *The Tilted World* with her husband, Tom Franklin.

For further details, contact Kasey Bass at ASUMH at (870) 508-6280 or via email at kbass@asumh.edu.