By EMMA CUMMINGS-KRUEGER
NEWS CO-EDITOR
Last Thursday, April 2, critically acclaimed author and poet Mark Irwin joined the greater St. Lawrence community for an evening of literary readings and commentary. Hailing from the University of Southern California’s English department, Irwin taught for Ashland University’s MFA program in 2009 with SLU’s own Dr. Bob Cowser. In his official introduction of Irwin, Cowser cited the poet’s school-aged nickname, derived from a pre-assigned Ashland email ID: Mirwin, like the famed wizard Merlin. “A wizard with words,” said Cowser of Irwin.
Between 8 and 9pm in the Sykes Formal Lounge, Irwin read aloud excerpts from his range of published works, including poems from his most recent and sixth book. One specific selection especially struck the audience and warranted several follow-up questions. During his time teaching poetry at a veterinary school to vaguely literary-minded pupils, Irwin witnesses the spay abortion of several black Labrador puppies from their pregnant mother. This incident inspired his poem “The Death.” Early in his presentation, Irwin had expressed his poetic intentions of blending the art of language with the qualitative nature of science and technology. This poem specifically bridges the gap between these two disciplines, taking the literal image of the spay and shifting to the imaginative of the potential life being taken. “In a test tube/ you could see their heads: the protoplasmic dot/ of each dark nose/ chasing ducks through the snow,” the final stanza concludes.
Between poem readings, Irwin chose to engage directly with the audience of several dozen students, faculty, and community members. He elaborated on his selected readings, sharing the backstories of each poem to offer better context. Irwin also explained the strategies he often employs when brainstorming and writing poetry. One poem he shared, for example, was based entirely upon a single line from a poem written by one of Irwin’s creative mentors. “That writing exercise is harder than you think,” said Irwin, with a chuckle. In addition to his own works, Irwin chose to share several lines or stanzas from his favorite poems written by other authors. When referencing the title of his 1996 published collection Quick, Now, Always, Irwin cited T.S. Eliot’s poetic verse “Quick now, here, now, always.” Irwin also cited Emily Dickinson along with Eliot as one of his poetic muses.
Beyond his work as a writer and poet, Irwin has also been productive in the field of translations. He has translated the works of other poets from French and German, among others. Olivia White ’15, an attendee of the April 2 event, most enjoyed “the way that he made very academic topics poetic,” said White.