NW Missouri Times

Northwest Missouri State University will begin its 2025-26 Visiting Writers Series this month with a presentation by Rae Armantrout, a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet. The event is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 16, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Tower View Dining Room at the J.W. Jones Student Union. It is open to the public at no cost.

Daniel Biegelson, director of the series and senior instructor of English, described the significance of Armantrout's visit. “This is a unique opportunity to hear from one of our greatest living poets, whose groundbreaking work engages with cognitive theory, memory, metaphysics, pop culture, quantum physics and philosophy,” Biegelson said. “Armantrout’s poetry invites readers to navigate the tension between assertion and doubt, language and perception. Sometimes with wry humor, sometimes with a beautiful lyricism — always with precision — Rae explores how we construct the self and meaning even as she traces the ripple effects of language in the world. This is sure to be a thought-provoking and illuminating experience for anyone interested in literature, language, and, simply, critical inquiry.”

Armantrout is recognized as a founding member of the West Coast group of Language poets. She has published over two dozen books of poetry and prose. Her 2009 collection “Versed” won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in Poetry and a 2009 National Book Critics Circle Award. It was also a finalist for the 2009 National Book Award. Other notable works by Armantrout include “Go Figure” (2024), “Finalists” (2022), “Conjure” (2020), “Itself” (2015), “Partly: New and Selected Poems” (2016), “Entanglements” (2017), and “Wobble” (2018), which was a finalist for the National Book Award. She has also authored a memoir titled “True” (1998) and a collection of prose published by Singing Horse Press in 2007.

Her poetry has been included in major anthologies such as “The Norton Anthology of Postmodern American Poetry.” Armantrout's accolades include several fellowships and awards, among them a Guggenheim Fellowship. She is based in Everett, Washington, and is professor emerita at the University of California, San Diego, where she taught for more than two decades.

The Visiting Writers Series aims to support Northwest Missouri State University's educational mission by encouraging community engagement, civil discourse, and self-expression. The series is sponsored by Northwest’s Green Tower Press.

For additional information about the series, individuals are encouraged to contact Daniel Biegelson or call 660.562.1266.