Everything that happened when acclaimed poet Mary Szybist read at Berkeley

On September 22nd, the critically acclaimed poet Mary Szybist, performed a reading of poems from her work Incarnadine, winner of the National Book Award for Poetry in 2013. The reading was part of the Holloway Series in Poetry, and began with an overview of the series by C.S. Giscombe, a poet and faculty member of UC Berkeley. Directly following, John Shoptaw, another faculty poet, introduced Mary Szybist. O’Brien offered praise, speaking on Szybist’s “irreverently wicked sense of humor,” as well as the joy in reading her “Happy Ideas” inspired by Marcel du Champ.

Szybist drew community members of all ages as well as university students to the semi-formal event. In addition to reading “Annunciation” poems from Incarnadine, Syzbist tried out newly written elegiac poems. Szybist’s new works were equally successful as her published poems, eliciting thorough applause.

Holloway Lecturer in Poetry and Poetics, Mary Szybist

As this years Roberta C. Holloway Lecturer in Poetry and Poetics, Szybist is teaching classes at UC Berkeley. Szybist is in good company lecturing at UC Berkeley, which has other famous poets like Lynn Hejinian, Robert Hass, and John Shoptaw on staff as well. Szybist’s presence on the faculty brings even more prestige to the English Department, and is a welcomed addition to the intellectual community on campus.

After delivering her stunning reading, The Tab at UC Berkeley got an opportunity to ask Szybist about her first impressions of UC Berkeley. We even tried to glean a thing or two for the developing writers out there.

Here’s what she had to say:

Szybist reading her work at UC Berkeley

What is your favorite thing about UC Berkeley so far?

My students. They are so smart, and open. They are such a great artistic and intellectual community. They have given me access to other visions, and that’s been awesome.

Do you find any places around the campus or city particularly inspiring?

I went out to Point Reyes, and I found Limantour beach, which I thought was amazing…It’s a very special place.

What are you reading currently, and what books have stood out to you recently?

I have it with me. Like a Straw Bird It Follows Me, and Other Poems, by Ghassan Zaqtan. He’s a Palestinian poet. He is translated by Fady Joudah, who is an amazing translator and a poet himself. This is an astonishing book.

Do you find the environment at Berkeley to your liking? 

Oh yeah. Its huge. Its a lot. Its certainly a lot. So absolutely. I mean…I feel like I’m just beginning to explore.

Do you have any words of advice for young poets?

I would say: read, experiment, and move towards your own strangenesses.

Szybist’s warm personality and witty poems, in addition by her beautiful reading voice, made for an inspiring reading. The variety of works showcased a range of emotions, engaging the crowd on multiple levels. Her presence on campus is a delight, and I would like to cordially thank whoever had the “Happy Idea” to bring Szybist to Berkeley.

The Holloway Series in Poetry will be going all semester, with distinguished poets making appearances throughout the Fall. Details can be found on the web here.