Georgian Court Hosts Mark Hillringhouse for National Poetry Month

Lakewood, N.J., April 15, 2014— In honor of National Poetry Month, Georgian Court University will host noted poet and photographer Mark Hillringhouse Thursday, April 24 at 6:30 p.m. in the Little Theatre on GCU’s Lakewood campus. Earlier in the day, Mr. Hillringhouse will lead a writing/poetry workshop for GCU students.

Mr. Hillringhouse is a published poet, photographer, and essayist whose work has been featured in books, journals, magazines, and anthologies. He is the founding editor of the American Book Review and winner of the 2011 Allen Ginsburg Award for Poetry. He has also won a National Parks 2012 Calendar photography contest, thus proving himself a man of many talents.

Greatly inspired by the poet William Carlos Williams, one of his most notable projects is the composition of a photo-essay, written on the Passaic River. The project, which took more than a year to complete, was published in the American Poetry Review. One of his poems, “At Arlington Diner,” which can be found in his newest collection of work, Between Frames, grew out of this notable experience.

Published in 2013, Between Frames incorporates poetry and photography into. Mr. Hillringhouse’s poetry perfectly complements the antiquity of the book’s black and white visuals and results in a work that is hauntingly beautiful and startlingly insightful.

“I used it as a tool to help me write,” he explained in an interview for the magazine, Lamplighter. “I’m a visual thinker and I loved the dark room, watching images appear in the developer ‘under water’ as it was like a dream rising to the surface.”

Pamela Rader, Ph. D., chair of the GCU English department, encourages all writing, poetry, and art enthusiasts to come out to hear Mr. Hillringhouse.

“He is a New Jersey poet who brings with him photography and poetry that are unique to New Jersey. A sense of place is important. His photographs show the power of the visual and its impact on the written.”

The poetry reading is free and open to the public. To reserve seating, contact the GCU Office of Conferences and Special Events at 732.987.2263 or specialevents@georgian.edu. 

Founded in 1908 and sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, Georgian Court University is a comprehensive, coeducational university with a strong liberal arts core and an historic, special concern for women. A forward-thinking university that supports diversity and academic excellence, Georgian Court serves more than 2,200 students of all faiths and backgrounds in both undergraduate and graduate programs. The main campus is located at 900 Lakewood Avenue, Lakewood, N.J., on the picturesque former George Jay Gould estate, a National Historic Landmark. Georgian Court also serves students at New Jersey Coastal Communiversity in Wall and through multiple online certificate and degree programs.