Booking

To book for speaking events or readings, please be in touch.

Email lsk4 (at) calvin.edu.

Photo Credit: Jason Glerum  

Photo Credit: Jason Glerum  

Past Events

Panel Discussion, “Dwelling: Our Watershed in Words and Images.” Plaster Creek Stewards 10th Anniversary Celebration. Calvin University. Grand Rapids, Michigan, October 2019

Lecture and Workshop, “The God-Pleasing Creative Life.” Calvin Prison Initiative. Handlon Correctional Facility. Ionia, Michigan, July 2019

Talk, “Field Notes.” Honors Convocation. Calvin College. Grand Rapids, Michigan, May 2019

Lecture, “The God-Pleasing Creative Life.” Faculty Exchange. Károli Gáspar University. Budapest, Hungary. October, 2018

Lecture, “The Artifice of Eternity. Notes Toward a Christian Poetics.” Faculty Exchange. Károli Gáspar University. Budapest, Hungary. October, 2018.

Lecture, “The Essential Strangeness of Poetry.” Faculty Exchange. Károli Gáspar University. Budapest, Hungary. October, 2018

Seminar, “Us versus Them in Three Stories by Flannery O’Connor.” Faculty Exchange. Károli Gáspar University. Budapest, Hungary. October, 2018.

Conference Director, Organizer, Facilitator, Editor, “Christian Poetics Symposium.” Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan. June, 2018.

Interview, “An Interview with Joy Williams.” Festival of Faith and Writing. Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan. April, 2018

Writing Exercise, “What the Bird Said.” Calvin Writers’ Retreat, Portage Lake Covenant Bible Camp, Onekama, Michigan, March 2018

Lecture, “The God-Pleasing Creative Life.” First Presbyterian Church, Ann Arbor, Michigan, May 2017

Panel Discussion, “Uneasy Alliances: Government Agencies and Poets Laureate,” with Patricia Clark, Denise Low, Joann Belingit, Carolyn Kreiter-Faronda, Association of Writers and

Writing Programs Conference, Washington, DC, February, 2017

Moderator, Panel Discussion, “MOTIONPOEMS Film Festival.” Wealthy Street Theatre. Grand Rapids, Michigan, October, 2016

Moderator, Panel Discussion, “Ask the Poet Laureates.” Great Lakes Commonwealth of Letters. Grand Rapids, Michigan, April, 2016

Interview, “An Interview with George Saunders.” Festival of Faith and Writing. Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan, April 2016

Interview, “An Interview with Mary Ruefle.” Festival of Faith and Writing. Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan, April 2016

Speech, “Grand Poems In Rapid Transit,” The Rapid Central Station, Grand Rapids, Michigan, April 2016

Master Class, “The Essential Strangeness of Poetry,” Malone College, Canton, Ohio, March, 2015

Class Visit, “Truth and Reconciliation: The Artist’s Response,” Calvin College Artists Collaborative, Grand Rapids, Michigan, January 2015

Speech, “The Pink Plumage of Words,” Community Literacy Summit, Chapel, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan, September, 2014

Lecture, “The Incarnation of a Lesson Plan,” Sacred Spaces Symposium, Spoelhof Center, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan, July 2014.

Lecture, “The God-Pleasing Creative Life.” L’Abri Fellowship. Huemoz, Switzerland, July 2014

Lecture, “The Artifice of Eternity: Notes Toward a Christian Poetics.” L’Abri Fellowship. Huemoz, Switzerland, July 2014

Lecture, “Obscurity in Poetry.” Grand Rapids Breakfast Club of Early Risers. Women’s City Club. Grand Rapids, Michigan, May 2014

Interview, “Reverence Without Curtsying: A Conversation with Kimberly Johnson and Mary Szybist.” Festival of Faith and Writing. Calvin College, Grand Rapids, April 2014.

Speech, “Poets & the City.” Poet Laureate of Grand Rapids Induction Ceremony. Ryerson Auditorium, Grand Rapids Public Library. Grand Rapids, Michigan, April 2014

Panel Discussion, “The Art of Difficulty: Challenging Poetry Students to Think Clearly, Read Smartly, Write Evocatively,” with Amorak Huey, Shaindel Beers, Judy Halebsky, Jill Alexander Essbaum, 2014 Association of Writers and Writing Programs Conference, Seattle, Washington, March, 2014

Panel Discussion, “The Debts We Owe: Undergraduate Writing Programs Respond,” with Martha Perkins, Chris Haven, Beth Myers, Pablo Peschiera, 2014 Association of Writers and Writing Programs Conference, Seattle, Washington, February, 2014

Lecture, “Creativity,” Adult Education, Church of the Servant, Grand Rapids, Michigan, January 2014

Lecture, “The Virtue of Creativity,” Calvin College’s Leadership Challenge Institute, Snow Mountain Ranch, Colorado, July, 2013

Lecture, “Language and Sustainability,” Van Reken Hall Creation Care Floor, Calvin College, November, 2012

Interview, “An Interview with Maurice Manning,” Festival of Faith and Writing, Calvin College, April 2012

Panel Discussion, “Stewarding the Vocation: Do Graduate Programs in Creative Writing

“Make or Mar the Writer?,” with Lan Samantha Chang, Scott Cairns, & Jamaal May, Festival of Faith and Writing, Calvin College, April 2012

Panel Discussion, “Working with a Publisher: Editors, Copyright, Contract, Process of Publication,” with David Cope, Linda Nemec Foster, & Eric Greinke, Grand Rapids Poets’ Conference, Grand Rapids Community College, April 2012

Lecture, “The Essential Strangeness of Poetry,” GVSU Writers Series, Grand Valley State University, February, 2012

Lecture, “The Artifice of Eternity: Notes Toward a Christian Poetics,” Faculty Lectureship Award Series, Calvin College, November, 2011

Commentary, with Todd Boss, Angella Kassube, and David Lehman, Motionpoems Premiere, Target Performance Hall, Open Book, Minneapolis, October, 2011

Panel Discussion, Professors Poetry Panel with Linda Nemec Foster & Matthew Frank, Literary Life Book Store, Grand Rapids, Michigan, April, 2011

Lecture, “A Zigzag in the Boom Box: Notes Toward a Christian Poetics,” Christian Writers Conference, Grove City College, March, 2011

Chapel Talk, “Stewards of Words,” Grove City College, March, 2011

Interview, “An Interview with Kevin Young,” Festival of Faith and Writing, Calvin College, April, 2010

Interview, “Poetry As Religious Feeling: Fanny Howe and Christian Wiman in Conversation,” Festival of Faith and Writing, Calvin College, April, 2010

Chapel Talk, “An Undying Love,” Calvin College, November, 2009

Lecture/Reading, Intermediate Poetry Class, Grand Valley State University, October, 2009

Paper, “The Electric Whitman,” Society of Literature & Science, Austin, TX, October, 2003

Readings

Grand Rapids, MI. Yellow Chair Reading Series, Private Residence, February, 2020

Detroit, MI. Undocumented Reading with Poets Laureate, Pages Bookshop, June, 2019

Grand Rapids, MI. Undocumented Reading with Poets Laureate, Books & Mortar, April 2019

Portland, OR. Free Verse Editions Reading, The Jupiter Hotel, March 2019

Budapest, Hungary. “Saint with a Peacock Voice.” Károli Gáspar University, October 2018

Grand Rapids, MI. Christian Poetics Symposium. Center Art Gallery, Calvin College, June 2018

Tampa, FL. Free Verse Editions Reading, The Godfrey Hotel and Cabanas, March 2018

Ann Arbor, MI. Poetry Reading, Bookbound, May, 2017

Washington, DC. Free Verse Editions Reading, Courtyard by Marriott, February, 2017

Los Angeles, CA. Free Verse Editions Reading, Crepes Sans Frontieres, March, 2016

Grand Rapids, MI. Christians in the Visual Arts (CIVA Conference: “Between Two Worlds.” Calvin College, June 2015

Grand Rapids, MI. TEDxGrandRapids, Grand Rapids Civic Theatre, May, 2015

Minneapolis, Minnesota. Free Verse Editions Reading, Boneshaker Books, April, 2015

Canton, Ohio. Featured Reader, Everett L. Cattell Library, Malone College, March, 2015

Olivet, Michigan. Abbie M. Copps Poetry Reading, Olivet College, November, 2014

Spring Arbor, Michigan. Spring Arbor University, October, 2014

Raleigh, North Carolina. So & So Series, Contemporary Art Museum, September, 2014

Grand Rapids, Michigan. Poet Laureate of Grand Rapids Induction Ceremony, Ryerson

Auditorium, Grand Rapids Public Library. April, 2014

Grand Rapids, Michigan. Poetry in Michigan. Michigan in Poetry. Festival of Faith and Writing. Calvin College. April, 2014

Seattle, Washington. Sponsored by Ahsahta Press, Ugly Duckling Press, Les Figues Press, and Drunken Boat, The Alibi Room. February, 2014

Lansing, Michigan. Poetry in Michigan. Michigan in Poetry. Creole Gallery. November, 2013

Brooklyn, New York. Shitluck Reading Series. Tip Top Bar & Grill. April, 2013

Grand Rapids, Michigan. Song of the Owashtanong Book Launch. Ryerson Auditorium. April, 2013

Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Hide-and-Seek Muse Book Launch. The Lilypad. March, 2013

Grand Rapids, Michigan. Grand Rapids Poets’ Conference, Grand Rapids Community College, April, 2012

Chicago, Illinois. “Chopin Salon #61: an AWP Reading,” Black Tongue Press, Chopin Theater, March, 2012

Grand Rapids, Michigan. GVSU Writers Series, Grand Valley State University, February, 2012

Iowa City, Iowa. Prairie Lights Books, September, 2011

Grand Rapids, Michigan. Schuler Books, June, 2011

Grand Rapids, Michigan. Cloud of Ink Book Launch, Richard App Gallery, May, 2011

Athens, Georgia. UGA Creative Writing Program Reading Series, CINÉ, April, 2011

Grove City, Pennsylvania. Christian Writers Conference, Grove City College, March, 2010

Kalamazoo, Michigan. Poets In Print, Kalamazoo Book Arts Center, March, 2010

Cincinnati, Ohio. Bon Mot/ley Reading Series, March, 2010

Grand Rapids, Michigan. Literary Life Bookstore, December, 2010

Grand Rapids, Michigan. Festival of Faith and Writing. Calvin College, April, 2010

Kalamazoo, Michigan. Kazoo Books. November, 2009

Grand Rapids, Michigan. Interloper Book Launch, Wealthy Theater. May, 2009

Richmond, Virginia. University of Richmond. April, 2009

Grand Rapids, Michigan. DIAGRAM at Schuler Books. September, 2005

Grand Rapids, Michigan. Calvin College. September, 2004

Athens, Georgia. The University of Georgia. May, 2004

Athens, Georgia. Athens Literary Festival, Mercury Art Gallery. March, 2003

Cortona, Italy. Art and Poetry Exhibition. April, 2002

Athens, Georgia. Verse Fest. October, 2001

Athens, Georgia. The Globe. April, 2001

Athens, Georgia. The Georgia Review. November, 2000

Athens, Georgia. 5 Star Day Café. October, 1998

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Borders Books and Music. March, 1997