Aquinas College hosts poet Herbert Woodward Martin

Aquinas College hosts poet Herbert Woodward Martin

Herbert Woodward Martin. Photo via aquinas.edu

From 1967-1970, Herbert Woodward Martin graced the Aquinas College campus as a teacher and the college’s poet-in-residence. Tonight, Martin returns to read from his vast collection of work.

Martin has published eight books of poetry as well as edited major collections on Paul Laurence Dunbar. He also has focused on the intersection of poetry and music, recording the narration for William Grant Still's “Symphony No. 1: The African American” with The Dayton Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra.

Martin also has supplied the texts for several song cycles with other composers. His many awards for his work include: four honorary doctorate degrees; a Fulbright Scholarship to Hungary (1990-91); the Ohio Humanities Council Bjornson Award (1996); the Mellen Prize for Narrative Poetry for “The Log of the Vigilante” (1999); and the Mark Twain Award from The Society for the Study of Midwestern Literature (2002).

He spent the bulk of his career at the University of Dayton, where he is currently a professor emeritus.

In addition to the public reading at Aquinas, Martin also will spend the day at the college meeting with creative writing students in workshops and will offer readings for students in the college's first- and second-year core courses.

The Contemporary Writers Series is free and open to the public. Martin’s reading will begin at 7 p.m. in the Wege Ballroom on the Aquinas College campus.