Benevento Hosts Celebratory Poetry Reading

Joseph Benevento, professor of English, will celebrate the release of his book “After” with a poetry reading at 7 p.m. April 5 in the Student Union Building Alumni Room.

“After,” a collection of 19 poems, is Benevento’s sixth book of poetry and his 12th overall. All of the poems in the collection are unique in that the form used was created by Benevento. The poems are autobiographical narratives that follow the form of five lines in a stanza and five stanzas followed by a coda. Benevento began using this form when it helped carry the meaning in the poem, “After Jumper Died,” a work about the death of his dog as a teenager.

While all of the poems focus on parts of Benevento’s life, from learning that his mother was cursing in Italian to taking his children trick-or-treating and fishing, the themes become a method of connecting with the reader, celebrating that while the details of the events might be unique to Benevento, the feelings and lessons are universal and shared.

The reading, sponsored by the Department of English and Linguistics, is free and open to the public. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing at the reading.