Uncommon Origins
These two fine poets are very much in tune with contemporary American culture, but they began their lives in atypical ways. Kasdorf was raised in a Mennonite community in western Pennsylvania and Seshadri was born in Bangalore, India, coming to the U.S. (Ohio) when he was five.
Julia
Kasdorf is the author of two award-winning poetry collections, Sleeping
Preacher (1992) and Eve’s Striptease (1998), both from the
University of Pittsburgh Press. Her poems have appeared in The New
Yorker, Poetry, The Paris Review, Shenandoah, and other publications.
She is the author of two non-fiction books, Fixing Tradition (Cascadia,
2002) and The Body and the Book: Writing from a Mennonite Life, 1991
- 1999 (Johns Hopkins, 2001). She is an associate professor of English
at the Pennsylvania State University.
Vijay
Seshadri’s poetry collections are Wild Kingdom (1996) and The
Long Meadow (2004), both by Graywolf Press. His poems, essays, and
reviews have appeared in numerous fine periodicals and anthologies. Among
his many distinguished fellowships, residencies, and awards is the Academy
of American Poets James Laughlin Prize (2004). He currently teaches poetry
and is the director of the graduate nonfiction writing program at Sarah
Lawrence College.
Poets:
Seshadri is teaching an advanced
poetry workshop
on two Monday evenings, July 12 and 19.
All readings include a question & answer period and a reception with books by the author(s) for sale.
Suggested Donation: $5 ($3 for HVWC members and those under age 18)
The readings at the HVWC are made possible in part by a grant from the Bydale Foundation; the David G. Taft Foundation; the Orchard Foundation; and the Thendara Foundation; with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency; and by Westchester Arts Council with funds from Westchester County Government, corporations and individuals.