GLENSIDE, Pa. - Stephen Kuusisto, a noted blind poet, will speak at Arcadia University on Tuesday, March 30 as part of the University's Graduate Colloquium series. The evening begins with refreshments at 7 p.m. and the lecture starts at 7:30 p.m. There will be time for a question and answer session.
Kuusisto, a professor of writing at The Ohio State University, is the author of the memoir Planet of the Blind, a 1999 New York Times notable book. He recently traveled through Europe for his current work on exploring the continent while blind.
"Planet of the Blind was a lyrical evocation of the internal world he lives in," says Dr. Richard Wertime, a Professor of English at Arcadia and Director of the Graduate Humanities Program. "Throughout history, the blind have provided an unusual insight into the world of the sighted and Stephen's work is no exception. He is a literary presence and we are lucky to have him here at Arcadia."
Earlier in the day, Kuusisto will present a master class for a small group of undergraduate and graduate students and alumni. Kuusisto has served as a correspondent for NPR's "All Things Considered" and been a guest on many national television and radio programs.
Arcadia University is a coeducational, comprehensive college in suburban Philadelphia offering undergraduate and graduate study to 3,000 students annually. The Center for Education Abroad, ranked second in the nation by U.S. News & World Report and one of the largest campus-based international study programs in the United States, serves an additional 2,000 students each year from nearly 300 American colleges and universities. U.S.
News ranked Arcadia among the top Northern Regional Universities and Barron's has named the Arcadia a "best buy" for the past 10 years. And Arcadia's graduates take great pride in their University-with some 40 percent of undergraduate alumni donating to their alma mater, a percentage comparable to many Ivy League institutions. For more information, go to www.arcadia.edu.