Paducah, KY (November 5, 2015) - Susan Swartwout, professor of creative writing and publishing at Southeast Missouri State University will share poems from her new book at West Kentucky Community and Technical College November 19.

The poetry reading from Swartwout's new release, Odd Beauty, Strange Fruit: poems, is free and open to the public and will be held in WKCTC's Matheson Library at 2 p.m. She will sign copies of her book following the presentation. Refreshments will be served. Prior to the poetry reading, Swartwout will be conducting a master class in poetry for WKCTC creative writing students.

"Dr. Swartwout is one of the great literary figures in our region, and she has a deep passion for educating students and encouraging emerging writers," said Kim Russell, WKCTC associate professor of English and event coordinator. "We're so fortunate to be able to welcome her to our campus and have the opportunity to hear her latest work."

Swartwout's two previous collections of poetry are entitled Freaks and Uncommon Ground, she co-edited Real Things: Anthology of Popular Culture in American Poetry, Hurricane Blues: Poems about Katrina and Rita, Balancing on a Bootheel, and A Student's Guide to Getting Published. Her poems and short stories are published in literary journals such as Nebraska Review, The Laurel Review, River Styx, Negative Capability, Mississippi Review, and Spoon River Poetry Review, among others.

She also serves as publisher of Southeast Missouri State University Press, which produces full-length books, four annual writing contests, The Cape Rock poetry journal, and Big Muddy: Journal of the Mississippi River Valley, an interdisciplinary magazine.

For more information about the free poetry reading, contact Kim Russell at (270) 534-3203 or kim.russell@kctcs.edu.