University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg hosts 'Lit Life' writers' festival

The University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg’s creative and professional writing program will celebrate “The Lit Life” with a writers’ festival through April 18.

The annual festival and senior capstone book launch celebration will feature guest authors and 2019 graduating creative and professional writing majors.

Readings begin at 7 p.m. in the Fireside Lounge in Chambers Hall. All readings, receptions and book signings are free and open to the public, according to a university news release.

On April 16, poet Jim Daniels will read from his new release, “Perp Walk,” a collection mapping coming of age in a blue-collar Great Lakes town.

Daniels is the author of six fiction collections, 17 poetry collections and four produced screenplays. A Detroit native, he is the Thomas Stockham Baker University English professor at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

Also reading Tuesday will be graduating seniors Brianna Dettlinger (fiction; honorable mention, Scott Turow Prize for Fiction), Matthew Boyer (multi-genre; winner of the Gerald Stern Prize for Excellence in Poetry) and Kaylee Hauck (creative nonfiction; winner of the Joan Didion Award for Excellence in Creative Nonfiction); and alum Shelby Newhouse (fiction and poetry; former recipient of the Gerald Stern Prize for Excellence in Poetry).

Capstone presentations

On April 17, capstone student readings will include Audrey Gee (multi-media-graphic memoir); Bri Filer (fiction); Aaron Forbes (nonfiction/journalism); Courtney Gaffey (poetry); Chelle Jackson (fiction; honorable mention in the Ida B. Wells Prize for Excellence in Journalism and Reportage); and Julie Moeslein (young adult fiction).

Alumni author Michelle Borin, a 2014 graduate of UPG’s creative and professional writing program, holds a masters degrees in fine arts from Chatham University and is an editor for Stranded Oak Press. She teaches creative nonfiction at Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts School and teaches at Pitt’s Oakland campus.

Celebrations, signings

On April 18, senior creative and professional writing majors Nicholas Morozowish (fiction); Alex Obringer (young adult fiction); Dan Spanner (poetry and music); and Kalyee Stinebiser (Scott Turow Fiction Prize for Excellence in Fiction) and Dorothea Lint will give readings.

Creative and professional writing professor and author Lori Jakiela will close with a reading from her most recent book, “Portrait of the Artist as a Bingo Work: Notes on Work and the Writing Life.”