Last week, Oglethorpe University welcomed Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and educator Jericho Brown to campus for the third installment of “Oglethorpe Out Loud,” the university’s live poetry series celebrating contemporary voices in poetry.
Before taking his place at the lectern, Brown spent time with students in a creative writing class, where he spoke candidly about his craft and career as a poet. He continued those conversations over lunch, giving students the rare opportunity to engage with a nationally- recognized writer in an informal, personal setting.
That sense of connection carried into the evening event, which drew the largest audience yet for the series. Every seat was filled as attendees gathered to hear Brown read from his work.
Oglethorpe President Kathryn McClymond opened the event by thanking alumna Leah Hughes ’88, whose generous gift established the “Oglethorpe Out Loud” series. Organized annually by the Department of English and Comparative Literature, the series brings distinguished poets to campus to broaden students’ exposure to contemporary creative writers while welcoming members of the broader Atlanta community.
Associate Professor of English Justin Haynes then introduced Brown. The two share a long-standing friendship, and their easy rapport was evident as they embraced before the reading began. Haynes, who helped select Brown as this year’s featured poet, spoke warmly of both Brown’s work and his impact as a teacher and mentor.
Once at the podium, Brown proved a consummate performer. With charm and confidence, he guided the audience through moments of humor and reflection before pivoting toward poems marked by stark honesty and emotional depth. His work moved fluidly between light and dark, inviting laughter at one moment and silence the next.
Brown’s words seemed to linger in the air as the audience listened in rapt attention.
“Listening to him read aloud his poetry inspired me to unleash my creative freedom to write about social issues in a way that makes readers feel so many emotions at once,” said Cameron-Scout Colosi-Bontrager ’28, who attended the previous day’s lunch with Brown. “His poetry was like uncovering layers of societal problems without explicitly stating them, leaving the listener to form their own judgment and take away whatever they believed it was asking them to.”
After the reading concluded, Brown stayed to mingle with attendees and sign copies of his poetry collections. A long line formed down the hallway as students, faculty and community members waited for the chance to speak with him one-on-one.
Since its inaugural event in 2024, “Oglethorpe Out Loud” has played a growing role in expanding students’—and the wider Atlanta community’s—exposure to poetry. Past featured poets include Oglethorpe alumna Aline Mello ’12 and Willie Perdomo, the 2021 State Poet of New York.
Brown’s visit to campus demonstrated the growing momentum of Oglethorpe’s annual poetry series. With strong attendance and sustained student interest, the series continues to establish itself as a regular point of connection between Oglethorpe, visiting writers and the wider Atlanta literary community.
View photos from the event:
