Dreiser Writer Series hosts Dr. Sara Henning (Indiana State University Statesman): October 24, 2022

Megan Farmer

This past Thursday, Oct. 20, the College of Arts and Sciences welcomed acclaimed author Sara Henning as part of the Theodore Dreiser Visiting Writer Series.

The Writer Series is maintained and scheduled by Dr. Amy Ash, Director of Creative Writing within the English department. This series has been going on for many years, and has hosted authors such as Rosebud Ben-Oni, Samuel T. Franklin, and Julie Morrissey. According to their homepage the Visiting Writer Series “features both emerging and internationally-acclaimed writers, allowing students, faculty, and community members to engage with important figures in con- temporary literature through classroom meetings, public readings, and question and answer sessions.”

Henning is a poet and assistant professor of English at Marshall University. She has published two collections of poems and a number of standalone pieces of poetry, including the collection “View from True North.” Henning has won a number of awards for her work, including the High Plains Book award and the 2017 Crab Orchard Series in Poetry Open Competition Award. Her latest poetry book, “Terra Incognita,” has won the 2021 Hollis Summers Poetry prize. Her work has been featured in numerous journals, including Quarterly West, Crab Orchard Review, Witness, Meridian, Crazyhorse, and the Cincinnati Review.

The Theodore Dreiser Visiting Writer Series event took place within the Yang Family University Art Gallery and began with words from English professor Dr. Mark Lewandowski. He was then followed by Senior English major Sara lee, who in- troduced Henning and spoke of the significance of some of the author’s poetry.

Henning read from her latest collection, titled “Terra Incognita”. Terra incognita in Latin, means unknown lands. The poems within describe Henning’s feeling and journey of grief and healing after he mother recently died of cancer.

Henning grew up as her mother as he only caretaker, so her passing hit the au thor hard despite being an adult and having carved out a life of her own. In her preface, the author noted that after the tragedy, she turned to books that spoke what she was feeling. She then decided t make her own contribution to grief literature.

All of the poems Henning read were touching heartfelt pieces that really made the audience experience what she felt. A couple of audience members voiced that her poetry voices the pain they felt after losing a parent.

As if foreshadowing this connection, Henning had earlier stated, “If only one person ever picks up my book and says, “I don’t feel as lost anymore,” I will know putting my grief into the world was worth it.”

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