LEWISTON, Maine -- One of Maine's most respected poets, Wesley McNair visits Bates to take part in the Language Arts Live series of literary readings.

Language Arts Live is sponsored by the English department, the Learning Associates Program, the Bates Humanities Fund, the programs in African American studies and American cultural studies, and the John Tagliabue Poetry fund.

One of Maine's most effective advocates of the art of poetry, McNair's poems have won praise from readers, reviewers and fellow poets alike for more than 40 years. Intended to be "both accessible and complex," as a reviewer for the Minneapolis Star Tribune wrote, his lines find truth in the small, often overlooked events of our common existence.

His most recent book is "Lovers of the Lost: New & Selected Poems" (David R. Godine, 2010), which showcases some of his best poetry from six previous volumes and a sampling of new work. He has authored or edited 18 books, including poetry, nonfiction and anthologies.

In 2006, McNair was selected for a prestigious United States Artists Fellowship, awarded annually to America's finest living artists. He has held grants from the Fulbright and Guggenheim foundations, two Rockefeller Fellowships, an NEH Fellowship in literature and two NEA fellowships.

McNair, who lives in Mercer, served four times on the nominating committee for the Pulitzer Prize in poetry, and in 2010 served as guest editor in poetry for the Pushcart Prize anthology. His poetry has appeared in two editions of "The Best American Poetry" and in more than 50 anthologies, and has been featured on NPR's Weekend Edition and 14 episodes of The Writer's Almanac with Garrison Keillor.

McNair served as a professor at the University of Maine at Farmington from 1987 until his retirement in 2004; founded and directed the Creative Writing program there; and is now UMF's Writer in Residence.

He was a visiting professor at Colby College from 1999 to 2004. Colby acquired his personal papers in 2006 and has created an interactive McNair archive and teaching site on the Web.

 
If you would rather not receive future communications from Bates College, let us know by clicking here.
Bates College, 141 Nichols St., Lewiston, ME 04240 United States