MC goes poetic

By: Johnathan Skidmore
Copy Layout Editor

Last Thursday, March 22, Monmouth College played host to Dan Rosenburg, a second-year graduate student studying poetry at the Iowa Writer’s Workshop.

The purpose of Rosenburg’s visit was to discuss his experiences in the world of publication, graduate studies in English and to perform a reading of his poetry for interested students at Monmouth College.

Rosenburg was born on Long Island, N.Y., and earned his bachelor’s degree in English studies and philosophy at Tufts University.

Rosenburg is currently teaching creative writing at the University of Iowa, as well as teaching GRE classes for the Kaplan program. His poems have appeared in or are slated to appear in literary magazines such as “POOL,” “GutCult,” “Diagram,” “Mid-American Review,” “Pebble Lake Review” and have even been translated into Japanese.

Prior to his poetry reading, Rosenburg attended the creative writing classes at Monmouth College, discussing what amateur writers can expect when attempting to publish their works. Rosenburg has been involved in editing publications and was able to give some inside tips on publications.

The reading was well-received, with approximately fifty students and faculty in attendance. Rosenburg chose specific works, anticipating a college audience. He read, among other poems, several meant to be read in series. The themes of these poems varied from the progression of a psychotic infatuation with a CPR dummy to the trials of a long-distance relationship.

“It’s really strange being given this much attention,” said Rosenburg during a tour of campus. “Everyone is treating me like I’m the next best thing, which is an odd thing to me, because I’m still in grad school.”

Senior English student Chadd Kaiser attended both the class discussion and the poetry reading. “It is great that Monmouth College is bringing in a more diverse group of speakers and presenters for the English department. Dan Rosenburg had a lot of insight into publication. It was a shame, however, that we didn’t get a chance to have him help workshop some of our creative writing,” said Kaiser.

Jaime Calder, also a senior English major, stated Rosenburg was “not only intelligent and articulate, but also self-aware, which he used to his tremendous advantage. It was phenomenal to see someone so young using their craft. When you think of a poet, you think of a crotchety old man, a weathered, trial-ridden person, yet here was a person reciting his poetry on a level we could access.”