Georgia Tech’s renowned Poetry@Tech reading series will return to campus after a three-year in-person hiatus. The long-running event has drawn U.S. poets laureate, Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winners, and many others since its inception in 2002.

The first reading in this year’s series will celebrate the life and work of esteemed poet, teacher, and mentor David Bottoms. “David Bottoms: A Life in Poetry” will be held Saturday, Oct. 7 in the Cypress Room in the John Lewis Student Center at Georgia Tech. The reading begins at 2 p.m. and is free and open to the public, with no RSVP or registration required. A reception will follow.  

“We’re thrilled to return the Poetry@Tech Reading Series to an in-person format this year — and I can’t think of a better way to begin than by gathering together to celebrate the life and work of David Bottoms,” said Travis Denton, associate director of Poetry@Tech.

A driving force in the poetry community, Bottoms served as the Georgia Poet Laureate from 2000 to 2012. His works have earned multiple awards and honors, and his poems have appeared in The Atlantic Monthly, Harper’s, The Kenyon Review, The New Yorker, and many others. Grounded firmly in the landscapes, wildlife, and people of Georgia and the Southeast, Bottoms’ poetry is known for its evocative realism and for its search for hidden meaning in the everyday.

The reading will feature music and readings of Bottoms’ poems by Edward Hirsch, Earnest Suarez, Chelsea Rathburn, Katie Chaple, James Davis May, Travis Denton, Tom Key, Lauren K. Watel, Mike Mattison, Louis Corrigan, David Yoke, and Rachel Ashe.

The distinguished Poetry@Tech reading series has introduced audiences to hundreds of legendary poets and critics, including former U.S. Poets Laureate Billy Collins and Rita Dove, Pulitzer Prize winners Jericho Brown and Tyehimba Jess, National Book Award winner Terrance Hayes, and other beloved authors. Current Bourne Chair in Poetry Victoria Chang and her predecessor, Ilya Kaminsky, also gave readings in the past.

About Poetry@Tech

Founded in 2001 under the leadership of renowned poet Thomas Lux, Poetry@Tech’s mission is to bring high-profile and celebrated poets, as well as new and exciting voices, to Atlanta — and to share the art of poetry with Georgia Tech students and communities across Georgia. Each year, Poetry@Tech organizes programs to promote poetry and poetics.

Poetry@Tech also hosts workshops, craft talks, conversations about poetry, Atlanta-wide poetry festivals, poet-in-school programs, and other activities.