Grand Valley State University Writing Department

09/10/2026

Congrats to GVSU WRT alum Lamont M Arrington, launching his new poetry collection TONIGHT, Th 9/10, at Fountain Street Church, with the Grand River Poetry Collective!

09/10/2026

Diane Cutler, Director of Programs from West Michigan Therapy Dogs, recently visited Professor Dauvan Mulally’s WRT 150 course as part of the “Paws and Reflect: Humans, Animals, & the Politics of Coexistence” first-year learning community. Students got to meet Duncan, a therapy dog and learn about the important role he plays in bringing comfort and emotional support to the individuals he visits.

09/04/2026

Hey writers! We are excited for Poetry Night 2026 with Craig Santos Perez at 7pm on Thursday, October 15 at Wealthy Theatre in Grand Rapids. We hope you'll come meet Craig and experience his poetry firsthand.

https://www.gvsu.edu/gvarts/craig-santos-perez-27.

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Craig Santos Perez
Poetry Reading & Conversation

Thursday, October 15, 2026
7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Weathy Theatre
1130 Wealthy Street
Grand Rapids, Michigan

This event is free and open to the public.
This event is INT 100/201 approved.

Dr. Craig Santos Perez is an Indigenous Chamoru from the Pacific Island of Guam. He is the editor of nine anthologies and author of seven books of poetry, most recently Call This Mutiny [Uncollected Poems], and the academic monograph, Navigating Chamoru Poetry: Indigeneity, Aesthetics, and Decolonization, which received the MLA Prize for Best Book in Studies of Native Culture and Literature. His work has been honored with the National Book Award, the American Book Award, a PEN award, and the Poetry Society of America Prize.

Perez will appear at Poetry Night for a poetry reading and conversation, as well as for the 2026 GVSU Climate Change Education Solutions Summit. Perez is a poet, editor, essayist, critic, environmentalist and political activist. An important voice in eco-poetics, he describes his work as a mourning and desire to protect the environment from further desecration and a longing and advocacy for a decolonized, sovereign, and indigenous future. His from Unincorporated Territory series uses poetry to touch on the history and ongoing militarization, colonization, and environmental injustice in Guam and the Pacific, often using documents and maps to expose and critique colonial power. In 2010, the Guam Legislature passed Resolution No. 315-30, recognizing and commending Perez “as an accomplished poet who has been a phenomenal ambassador for our island, eloquently conveying through his words, the beauty and love that is the Chamorro culture.”

For more information about this event, email the GVSU College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at [email protected]

09/04/2026

RSVP at gvsu.edu/writing to spend the day with students, alumni, faculty, and friends for writing workshops, readings, an alumni career panel, department history and artifacts, trivia, raffles, and more.

05/19/2026

It's here, the newest issue of InWriting, the official newsletter of the GVSU Writing Department! InWriting is student-written and student edited, and it's available in print from the Writing Dept. office (LOH 326) and for download on our website.

https://www.gvsu.edu/writing/inwriting-newsletter-14.htm

05/15/2026

Hugest of congratulations to Grand Valley State University Assistant Professor Sasha Debevec-McKenney, who was just named the 2026 winner of the prestigious Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize for her debut book JOY IS MY MIDDLE NAME in a unanimous decision by the judges. Way to go, Sasha. We are so lucky to be able to teach with and learn from you!

https://www.swansea.ac.uk/dylan-thomas-prize/

05/06/2026

Hey writers: it’s the week after the end of the semester and you aren't here anymore. This is how it feels without you. Have a great summer and we are looking forward to writing again with you in the Fall. Or not, if you graduated.

05/02/2026

05/02/2026

Last night at the Writing Senior Celebration, we honored the work and accomplishments of our 2026 graduating class of writing majors, who are leaving Grand Valley State University for life post-college. Farewell for now, friends. We can’t wait to see your words out in the world.

04/30/2026

We know these broadsides!!

Happy National Poetry Month! This month’s blog is all about poetry. Guest written by the Art Museum’s Student Gallery Assistant, Elias, we encourage you to use some of the broadsides in our collection to act as inspiration for your own poetry! If you’ve never written a poem or you absolutely love it, take this time to celebrate what this month is about.