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Volume 80, Issue 8 Web Edition SERVING BREVARD COLLEGE SINCE 1935
October 22, 2014
Sophomore Benjamin Blevins pauses for a quick photo with Joseph Bathanti after
the reading.P/joto by Samuel Edwards
Joseph Bathanti responds to questions during the scheduled Q & A.
Photo by Amanda Higgins Below: Bathanti reads his poetry at United
Methodist.
Former NC Poet Laureate visits Brevard College
By Amanda Higgins
staff Writer
Yesterday, author and former NC Poet Laureate
Joseph Bathanti joined BC students and faculty
for dinner, a question and answer session, as well
as a reading at the First United Methodist Church.
Bathanti is a kind and engaging gentleman
who was a very accommodating guest. He was
friendly and outgoing to his audience, making
them feel at ease with him.
Bathanti is from Pittsburg. PA and has both BA
and MA degrees in English Literature from the
University of Pittsburg. He also holds a MFA in
Creative Writing from Warren Wilson College.
Bathanti came to NC as a VISTA volunteer
to work with prison inmates, and is currently
Professor of Creative Writing at Appalachian
State University.
Last night’s Q and A session took place in
MG 214, and was followed by dinner at the
Jordan Street Cafe with members of the Eng
lish Department as well as some students from
the English Major. Before the reading began,
Bathanti walked the room and talked to people
in the crowd allowing them to become comfort
able with him.
Bathanti's readings took place at 7:30 last night,
and he demonstrated his cross-genre reputation
by reading poems and short stories from his
published works including: Half of What I say
is Meaningless, whose name was taken from
the John Lennon song “Julia,” and Concertina,
which predominantly consists of tales from his
time as a VISTA volunteer working in the NC
prison system.
As Bathanti regaled the audience with his
works, he also took time to offer insight into the
circumstances surrounding each piece.
When speaking about his short story “Irony”
he asked the audience if we thought it was pretty
messed up that the nuns made him carry the note
that held, as Bathanti put it, “his own death war
rant.” When in school, the speaker was informed
that bad boys do not get the privilege of carrying
notes for their teachers. The first time he was given
this elusive privilege, it was to tell the principal
that he needed to be disciplined. He was then
paddled in front of a class of 8th graders.
Bathanti also shared about how he met his wife
volunteering through VISTA. In the poem, “Sweet
Random,” he speaks about how he and three other
VISTA volunteers lived in their boss’s house while
trying to find places to live. His future wife, Joan,
comes out onto the porch wrapped in a towel.
which he then describes in illustrious detail, com
municating how much this woman enamored him.
“Sweet Random” invites the audience to watch
the beginning of their love story.
A celebrated author, Bathanti holds more than
six awards for his work in poetry, fiction, and
nonfiction essays. We greatly enjoyed having
Joseph Bathanti with us yesterday, and invite you
to read any one of his great books, which can be
found for sale on Amazon.