Maurice Brown Poetry Reading features Michigan poet laureate Nandi Comer

As Michigan's first poet laureate in more than 60 years, Nandi Comer has literally written herself into history. Oakland University will welcome the writer for a reading, Q&A and book signing on Thursday, Oct. 5 at 5 p.m. for the annual Maurice Brown Poetry Reading in the Oakland Center’s Ballroom A. Attendance is free and available via Zoom with registration. Refreshments will be served. 

Comer’s work spans several publications, including “American Family: A Syndrome” and “Tapping Out,” which was awarded the 2020 Society of Midland Authors Award and the 2020 Julie Suk Award. Her writing received the Vera Myer Strube Award in poetry, and she is the winner of Crab Orchard Review’s 2014 Richard Peterson Poetry Prize.

In addition to being named Michigan’s poet laureate, she serves as the director of the Allied Media Projects Seeds Program and the co-director of Detroit Lit, a program dedicated to providing reading and professional development opportunities to narrative makers of color in Detroit. She is dedicated to supporting contemporary voices.

Raised in Detroit, Comer celebrates her sense of community through her written work and frequent outreach to others. Comer will also be discussing her craft in an Honors College lecture earlier on Oct. 5 at 1 p.m., but space is limited. Reserve a space for this additional complementary lecture by emailing Professor Katie Hartsock.

This event is sponsored by Oakland University’s Department of English and Creative Writing program, in memory of Professor Maurice Brown, and co-sponsored by The Honors College and the Joy James Williams fund.