By Rylie Parkins/ne news editor
Texas Poet Laureate Larry Thomas will visit TCC campuses next week.
He will recite his poetry on SE Campus, April 16 in the Bistro from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. After the reading, he will join SE Poetry Club members for lunch.
Thomas will be on NE Campus later the same day for an evening reading, beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the NCAB College Hall.
Thomas, a native Texan, received his bachelor’s in English literature from the University of Houston in 1970. Although he had an English degree, he pursued a career in criminal justice and has only been writing as a full-time poet since his retirement in 1998.
Since retirement, he has had a number of poems published, and many of them have received awards.
Rebecca Balcarcel, NE Campus associate professor of English, has heard him several times and has positive things to say about him.
“His poems are accessible—you get something out of hearing them for the first time,” she said. It’s rewarding, you don’t have to work very hard to understand his poems.”
One of the themes common in Thomas’ poetry is writing about Texas and things the audience is familiar with.
Thomas’ poems are also meant to inspire others.
“He wants people to follow their dreams and to never stop believing in the worth of something creative,” Balcarcel said.
Balcarcel strongly encourages students to attend.
“It’s an opportunity for students to meet a real writer who can talk about the creative process,” she said. “I hope that through hearing Thomas speak, students will be inspired to continue their own creative pursuits.”
The event is free and open to the public with no reservations required. Refreshments will be provided.
For more information on the event, contact Balcarcel at rebecca.balcarcel@tccd.edu.
