Poet and essayist
Lori Jakiela will read as part of the Spectrum arts series at 7:30 p.m. March 19 in the Mukaiyma University Room
located in the Frame-Westerberg Commons.
The reading is free and open to the
public.
Jakiela, who is an associate professor
of English at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, is the author of a
memoir, “Miss New York has Everything,” a poetry collection, “Spot the
Terrorist!”, and three limited-edition poetry chapbooks.
“Jakiela’s memoir is a very funny
account of growing up in Western Pennsylvania and eventually becoming a flight
attendant,” said Dr. Nancy McCabe, associate professor of writing and director
of the writing program, who has used the book in her classes.
“My students relate to her descriptions
of life in small-town Pennsylvania, and she’s the only writer I know of who
writes literary essays about life as a flight attendant.”
Her essays and poems have been
published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune,
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and literary journals. She is the recipient of a 2010
Golden Quill award from the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association for column
writing and the 2007 Pitt-Greensburg Alumni Association Outstanding Faculty
Award. She teaches in the writing programs at Pitt-Greensburg and Chatham
University.
McCabe said she decided to bring
Jakiela to campus after James Baldwin, assistant dean of academic affairs and
registrar, circulated her defense of education in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Jakiela’s second memoir, “The Bridge
to Take When Things Get Serious,” is forthcoming from C&R Press.
For disability related needs,
contact the Office of Disability Resources and Services at (814)362-7609 or clh71@pitt.edu.
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