2008 Woodie Awards
'Blair'y tales and the like...
A review
Brian Jones
Issue date: 4/8/08 Section: Arts & Entertainment
David Blair, a graduate of the creative writing program at UNCG, revisited campus on Thursday to read over a dozen poems from his first published collection, Ascension Days, as well as some new, unpublished ones. The event started at 5 p.m. in the Faculty Center as another installment in the continuing series of readings from different poets presented by the MFA program and its many sponsors.
Blair also offered anecdotal introductions to some of his poems and joked with former professors. The standing-room-only crowd was given the chance to socialize with Blair over refreshments after his 45 minute reading. Blaire was also selling and signing copies of Ascension Days.
Originally from Pittsburgh, Blair graduated UNCG in 1995 then stayed on for a year as a lecturer. He now lives in Massachusetts with his wife and 18-month-old daughter where he is an Associate Professor at the New England Institute of Art.
Blair's poetry is nationally acclaimed and has appeared numerous publications including The Harvard Review, Fence, and The Zoland Poetry Anthology. His verse is wonderfully American, mentioning everything from Emerson, Hardy, and Thoreau to George Romero's "Dawn of the Dead." Poems like "Rabies Poem" and "Viking Funeral For a Work Week" demonstrate both the diversity of topics Blair addresses as well as his artful analyses of the human condition. It was these keen dissections of contemporary humanity that garnered Ascension Days the 2007 Del Sol Poetry Prize.
The MFA Program's Poetry Readings continue this week on Thursday with surrealist poet Dean Young and next week with Alan Shapiro. Both begin at 8 p.m. and are at the Faculty Center on campus.
Blair also offered anecdotal introductions to some of his poems and joked with former professors. The standing-room-only crowd was given the chance to socialize with Blair over refreshments after his 45 minute reading. Blaire was also selling and signing copies of Ascension Days.
Originally from Pittsburgh, Blair graduated UNCG in 1995 then stayed on for a year as a lecturer. He now lives in Massachusetts with his wife and 18-month-old daughter where he is an Associate Professor at the New England Institute of Art.
Blair's poetry is nationally acclaimed and has appeared numerous publications including The Harvard Review, Fence, and The Zoland Poetry Anthology. His verse is wonderfully American, mentioning everything from Emerson, Hardy, and Thoreau to George Romero's "Dawn of the Dead." Poems like "Rabies Poem" and "Viking Funeral For a Work Week" demonstrate both the diversity of topics Blair addresses as well as his artful analyses of the human condition. It was these keen dissections of contemporary humanity that garnered Ascension Days the 2007 Del Sol Poetry Prize.
The MFA Program's Poetry Readings continue this week on Thursday with surrealist poet Dean Young and next week with Alan Shapiro. Both begin at 8 p.m. and are at the Faculty Center on campus.
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