Oglethorpe hosts third annual "Oglethorpe Out Loud"
- Lexi Sinutko '28
- 23 hours ago
- 3 min read
On March 19, the atrium of Lowry Hall was packed with people. Students, faculty, and other guests lined the walls and spilled into seats along the side of the room to hear Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Jericho Brown read from his collection of work.
This event marked the third year of “Oglethorpe Out Loud,” a live poetry series created by alumna Leah Hughes ’88. Previous speakers include Oglethorpe alumna Aline Mello ’12 and award-winning writer and former State Poet of New York Willie Perdomo.
President Kathryn McClymond opened the event before Dr. Justin Haynes introduced Brown. Dr. Haynes described that Brown writes “incisively about nature as he does about civil rights.”
When Brown began reading, the room fell silent. The audience was attentive and captivated by
his poems. His presence was immediate. He delivered each poem in a staccato rhythm, and his voice was precise and deliberate.
Despite the quietness during the readings, Brown brought a contrasting energy to the room in between readings. Hughes noted that while speaking with Brown, she learned that he enjoys laughing, and she hoped the audience would experience that emotion during the event. In between poems, he had an enthusiastic and humorous attitude that continuously made the crowd laugh and smile.
The day prior to the event Brown joined one of Haynes’ creative writing classes to answer questions from students and share his story.
Brown’s passion for poetry began from a young age. As a kid he shared that he grew up in the library where poetry was the only thing that could hold his short attention span. “I had poetry all around me. Poetry never felt foreign to me,” he said. “I felt things when I would read poems as a kid, and I wanted to make that happen.”
During the reading, he shared several poems written in a form he created called the “duplex,” a hybrid style that combines elements of the ghazal, the sonnet and blues poetry. The form, like Brown’s delivery, kept the audience on edge, waiting to hear more.
Hughes created Oglethorpe Out Loud in hopes of giving students today the same experience she had that changed her outlook on life and writing. As a student at Oglethorpe, Hughes had the opportunity to hear from distinguished poets like Denise Levertov whose work was anthologized in her class readings. “I was very impressed and empowered by these writers who were making their living writing poetry,” said Hughes. “I think this experience of listening to poets will empower any student who wanted to do anything.”
Hughes further emphasized the impact poetry can have on students’ lives no matter what profession they want to pursue.
“They can do anything because they can say anything that they’re thinking or feeling,” Hughes said. “They can find the words to express themselves, to live their lives, dreams, to meet their ambitions, and to tell their own truths.”
Having known Brown for several years, Dr. Haynes truly believes he is someone whose presence lights up a room. “His poetry is also tremendously layered; it asks important political questions but also challenges the reader to reexamine the beauty of nature,” Haynes said. “No contemporary poet captures the profundity of nature like Jericho does.”
Haynes shared that these types of events are important for students to experience to see the successes of a poet. “Poetry is a duplicitous art form, enticing but difficult to master. It demands vision, and understanding of structure, and concision,” Haynes said. “It’s also important that students have access to the visiting speaker. It’s helpful for young poets to interact with more seasoned practitioners and know that they can achieve similar success.”
Dr. Jamie Iredell, a core professor at Oglethorpe, framed the event in a modern way as technology is quickly affecting students’ creative abilities. “In this world of everybody using AI in particular to write things, there are lots of us who still do the work of being a writer,” Iredell said. “And I hope that students who attended will get inspired and it makes them go home to read and write more poetry.”
The event concluded with a standing ovation for Brown and cheers loud enough to fill the entirety of the room.
Hughes hopes “Oglethorpe Out Loud” continues as an annual tradition. “I want to see poets of great renown say that they want to read at Oglethorpe,” said Hughes. “I want there to be celebrations for this tradition in the 10th and 20th year. Oglethorpe is a place that is not afraid to tell you the truth, and it is not afraid to hold you as you sit with your truth.”
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