Matthew Shenoda, winner of the 2006 American Book Award for Somewhere Else, stopped in Kearney, Nebraska last week while touring his latest collection, Seasons of Lotus, Seasons of Bone, across the nation’s campuses and literary scenes.

Shenoda’s performance rounded out the University of Nebraska Reynolds Series of Writers season. He read poems from his new book, which is based on his own research of the Egyptian Book of the Dead, and also read some popular pieces from Somewhere Else.

Following the reading, Shenoda took questions from the audience. He discussed his fascination with the oratory roots of poetry.

“I’ve always been a believer that a poem is not complete until you’ve given it breath,” he said. “I feel it’s very important that the poem can be read aloud as well as on the page.”

Asked to elaborate on his philosophy, he responded, “an artist’s job is to remind us of our humanity. Especially these days when life can become quite chaotic, the artist’s job is to slow us down and remind us of our humanity.” 

Allison Hedge-Coke, author of Blood Run, Off-Season City Pipe, and Dog Road Woman and Reynolds Chair of Poetry at the University, is the architect of the reading series.

–Rick Marlatt