Marie Ponsot ‘40 to be Honored by Bryant Park Reading Room

July 10, 2013

BROOKLYN, N.Y. JULY 11, 2013 The Writers Foundry at St. Josephs College (SJC) is pleased to announce that distinguished alumna Marie Ponsot 40 will be honored on Tuesday, July 16 at 7 p.m. at the Bryant Park Reading Room. Sponsored by the Bryant Park Reading Room, "Word for Word Poetry Tribute to Marie Ponsot will feature a number of literary luminaries that will pay tribute to Ms. Ponsots life and work. The event is free and open to the public.

The evening will honor Ms. Ponsot by featuring a group of her former students and writers as they come together to discuss her works and impact on writing. To date, Sapphire, Scott Hightower, Melody Compo, Jean Valentine, Alan Felsenthal, Lee Briccetti, Edward Hirsch, Jackson Taylor, Michael Broder, Richard Howard, Jamie Stern and Rosemay Deen are all scheduled to appear.

"The range of voices for this event is a testament to the range of Ponsot's work, said Jackson Taylor, program director of The Writers Foundry M.F.A. at SJC. "Her beautifully rendered poems astonish as they continue to grow in stature.

A 2013 recipient of The Ruth Lilly Prize for her lifetime achievement and contributions to poetry, Ms. Ponsots approach to writing serves as the pedagogical foundation of The Writers Foundry, which will welcome its inaugural class this fall. Recently, Ms. Ponsot generously contributed a portion of the Lilly Prize to support the Foundry in memory of her three friends, Frances Dwyer, Helen Gibbons Mally and MaryLouise Barrett.

The Bryant Park Reading Room is located at 42nd Street and 6th Avenue, New York, N.Y. For more information about this event or The Writers Foundry in general, please contact Jackson Taylor at 718.940.5800 or email [email protected].