Codrescu to visit UHV as guest of ABR Reading Series
Codrescu will appear in the Alcorn Auditorium from 12 to 1:30 p.m. Attendance is free and open to the public. Born in Sibiu, Romania, Codrescu immigrated to the United States in 1966 and naturalized in 1981. He currently resides in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, where he serves as the MacCurdy Distinguished Professor of English Literature at Louisiana State University. Codrescu is best known for his regular appearances on National Public Radio’s All Things Considered and for his work editing Exquisite Corpse, a monthly review of books and ideas.
After the 1989 fall of Communist rule in Romania, Codrescu traveled back to his homeland. He had been absent for more than 20 years. In a series of six broadcasts, Codrescu detailed his homecoming experiences. His reports on the demise and aftermath of the Ceausescu regime are among his most notable work.
“We are honored to be welcoming such a distinguished guest to our commencement ceremonies,” said UHV President Tim Hudson, noting that the university’s ability to attract a speaker of Codrescu’s stature is a testament to UHV’s continuing maturation as an institution of higher learning. “I have been listening to Andrei on public radio for years and I continue to be fascinated by his powers of observation and articulation,” he added.
Codrescu’s writing has been widely translated and has received numerous awards, including a George Foster Peabody Award, the ACLU Freedom of Speech Award, Big Table Poetry Award, the Towson State University Literature Prize, and the General Electric Foundation Poetry Prize. In addition, he has received National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships for poetry, editing and radio.
“Truly he is among our nation’s most talented writers--insightful, humorous, a genuine craftsman. I have no doubt our graduates and community members are going to remember Codrescu’s words for years to come,” said American Book Review editor Dr. Jeffrey Di Leo, who arranged for Codrescu’s visit to UHV. Codrescu is a contributing editor to an upcoming ABR issue that will contain a feature on Romanian literature and poetry in translation.
In addition to appearing at the lecture, Codrescu will deliver the commencement address to the 2007 spring graduating class at UHV on the university’s campus, Saturday, May 12, at 9 a.m. He will also participate in a Bach Festival event “Celebration of New Orleans” where he’ll share a performance with celebrated soprano Maria Jette. The event will take place at the Victoria College Auditorium, Saturday, May 12, at 7:30 p.m.
For more information on Codrescu or sponsorship opportunities, contact American Book Review managing editor Dr. Charles Alcorn, III at (361) 570-4100.
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 80 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.
