2019-2020 Readings and Lectures Calendar

Please Note: Winter, Spring, and Summer dates are still in formation, but almost full.  Please visit below to see what is coming up and where I'll be during the coming seasons.

This year promises to be the busiest yet for me, as I hopscotch from place to place to talk about poetry and beauty and, meanwhile, also give a series of readings, including several to promote my new book, The River of the Immaculate Conception, a long poem comprehending the whole history of Catholicism in America, in lyric and narrative chapters.

​Although my available travel dates are filling up quickly, these sorts of visits are a real delight for me, and so I invite those who are interested in hosting me for a reading or a lecture to drop me a line via the Contact page on this website.

I'll be speaking at several private events, at Eastern University and at Villanova, but what follows below are events open to the general public. Click on the images to the left, which link to fuller descriptions of the events (as they become available).

September 18 (Wednesday), 7:00, Beauty, the Foundation of the West, the University of St. Francis annual Alverno Lecture (Achatz Hall of Science, Parkview Physicians Group Auditorium, Rm 226; 2701 Spring St., Fort Wayne, Indiana).

September 21 (Saturday), 2:00, a poetry reading as part of the Future of the Catholic Imagination Conference, at Loyola University (Damon Den, Lakeshore Campus).

October 14 (Monday) 7:30, a poetry reading, hosted by Painted Bride Quarterly (Black Sheep Pub upstairs, 247 S. 17th St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania).

October 19 (Saturday), TBD, Sneering at Beauty, a keynote address at the sympsium on Christianity and Literature, at Misericordia University (Dallas, Pennsylvania).

November 15 (Friday), 5:30, a poetry reading as part of the Contemporary Catholic Writers series, at the Catholic University of America (TBD).  You can register for this free program by clicking the picture at left.

November 16 (Saturday), Ongoing events 2:00-7:00 p.m.  The Benedict XVI Institute conference, in celebration of the National Basilica premier of the Mass of the Americas, will host a day of events, including a poetry workshop with me (open to all), a public interview with me and others on the future of the arts in the Church, and the official launch and book signing of The Mass of the Immaculate Conception​.  This is not to be missed. Click the book cover to register for the Mass and/or the after-conference.

February 18 (Tuesday), 6:00 (reception), 7:00, a lecture delivered to the Catholic Artists Society (New York City).

POSTPONED: This event will be rescheduled for the fall.
March 24 (Tuesday), 6:00 p.m. Sponsored by First Things and The King's College. A conversation with Jessica Hooten Wilson, James Matthew Wilson, and Dana Gioia.

POSTPONED: This event will be rescheduled for the fall.
March 27 (Friday), 6:30 p.m.. A reading from The River of the Immaculate Conception and The Hanging God​, at Aquinas College (Loutit Room, Wege Building).

POSTPONED: This event will be rescheduled for the fall.March 28 (Saturday), TBD.  Lecture as part of a Day of Study at the St. Benedict Institute, Hope College (Holland, Michigan).

April 25 (Saturday), 7:00 p.m., Lansing Catholic Central.  Address to Lumen Veritis​ (Lansing, MI).

May 9 (Saturday), TBD. Crusade Channel, Second Annual Chivalry Conference (New Jersey).

July 15-18, TBD, Select Seminars at the CiRCE Institute annual conference (Charleston, SC).