The Benton Museum of Art on the Pomona College campus hosted a poetry reading Tuesday featuring Quan Barry, poet and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Barry, who spoke before a large crowd, discussed how travel, spirituality, history and injustices have inspired her work.
She read from her previously published works and also read excerpts from her upcoming horror book, “The Unveiling.”
“I have always written about things that have happened in the world and injustices that I have seen,” Barry said.
“The Unveiling” is set in Antarctica, and based on the short parts she read Tuesday, is chilling – not just because of its icy setting.
Barry also talked about her inspiration for her poetry and her forthcoming novel. The novel was inspired by the poetry she wrote after a 2004 trip to Antarctica.
Additionally, she had much to say on the current state of the world and the movement she calls “post doom.”
She said she believes we need to admit to ourselves that there is no saving the Earth.
Audience members were moved by her talk.
“(She) did such a wonderful job of walking us through her process of genre and history and how to use writing for social justice,” said Cherene Sherrard-Johnson, professor and chair of the English department at Pomona College. “Incorporating everything she knows about natural history, human history, religion, spirituality and also what it means to be a witness.”
—Alicia Naranjo
Alicia Naranjo is a staff writer for the Campus Times and a freshman journalism major with a concentration in broadcast journalism. She enjoys watching sports and writing stories on them.
Thatiana Gibbs is a senior journalism major with a concentration in print-online journalism. She is a photographer for the Campus Times and La Verne Magazine. Her enthusiasm lies in research, writing, and effectively delivering captivating information to the public eye. She has previously been an assistant editor and staff writer for the Campus Times, and a staff writer for La Verne Magazine.
