English Department hosts “Creative Reading Night”

Dr. Fred Misurella reads from “Arrangement in Black and White.” Photo Credit / Dr. Nancy VanArsdale
Dr. Fred Misurella reads from “Arrangement in Black and White.” Photo Credit / Dr. Nancy VanArsdale
Dr. Fred Misurella reads from “Arrangement in Black and White.”
Photo Credit / Dr. Nancy VanArsdale

By Tina Hennessey

SC Staff Writer

On Thursday, March 27 at 7 PM the East Stroudsburg University English Department hosted “Creative Reading Night.”

The event took place in Lower Dansbury where English professors read poetry, fiction, and non-fiction works.  All of the readings were either created by or selected by members of the English Department.

Dr. Nancy VanArsdale started the event with opening remarks and introduced two professors from China that were in attendance during their visit to ESU.  She started the creative reading with a reading of her own poem that she has been working on since January.

Professor Bill Broun read an excerpt from his novel, “The Christ of Otters,” that he has been working on for 13 years.

Rick Madigan followed Broun.  He first read a poem by Professor Jan Selving, who could not be in attendance due to a conference she was attending out of state.

Madigan then read one of his original acrostic poems.  An acrostic poem is a poem in response to something of the arts, such as a film or painting.  Madigan’s poem was about a particular photograph from 1921.

Next was a reading by Dr. Kim McKay from her memoir, “A Month in Another Country.” McKay had spent time in Morocco where her jobs revolved around educating women.  The excerpt she read from her memoir described her experience teaching women how to sew.

Dr. Fred Misurella read from his forthcoming novel, “Arrangement in Black and White,” about an interracial couple.  His novel is planned to come out next month.

Dr. Rhonda Ray followed Misurella, reading an excerpt titled “My Mother’s Garden” from her memoir about her childhood and growing up on a tobacco farm in the south.

The last professor to read was Dr. Jill Silvius.  She started off with reading the prologue of her mystery novel draft titled “No Stone Unturned.”  Silvius ended the reading with a poem by Edwin Romond, who is a retired high school English teacher.  The poem was titled “Dream Teaching.”

Email Tina at:

thennessey@live.esu.edu