Buffalo Area Poetry & Literature Calendar (week of May 5-May 12)

Wednesday, 11 a.m.: University at Buffalo Poetics Program and UB Department of English will hold a memorial gathering to honor the memory of the late Professor Tyrone Williams, former David Gray Chair of Poetry and Letters at the University at Buffalo. Williams died on March 11, shortly after a cancer diagnosis. He was 70.

Tyrone Williams was the David Gray Chair of Poetry & Letters at SUNY Buffalo. He was the author of several chapbooks and seven books of poetry: c.c. (Krupskaya 2002), On Spec (Omnidawn 2008), The Hero Project of the Century (The Backwaters Press 2009), Adventures of Pi (Dos Madres Press, 2011), Howell (Atelos Books 2011), As Iz (Omnidawn 2018), washpark (with Pat Clifford)(Delete Press, 2021) and stilettos in a rifle range (Wayne State University Press, 2022).

A limited-edition art project, Trump l’oeil, was published by Hostile Books in 2017. He and Jeanne Heuving edited an anthology of critical essays, Inciting Poetics (University of New Mexico Press, 2019).

The program of the gathering will include the sharing of memories from his students, colleagues, and friends, along with readings from his poetic and scholarly work. A reception will follow the program. UB Poetry Collection, 420 Capen Hall, University at Buffalo North Campus. Open to the public.

Thursday, 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.: The Buffalo Corner Reading Series presents  its annual Mystery Night reading and discussion guest hosted by novelist Gary Earl Ross (Nickle City/Gideon Rimes Series) and featuring mystery series fiction writers Terez Peipens (The Dan Kiraly Series), Susan Lynn Solomon (The Emlyn Goode Series) , and Lissa Marie Redmond (The Cold Case Series). This will be a hybrid event, live in person and livestreamed via Zoom. Congregation Shir Shalom, 4660 Sheridan Drive, Amherst. Visit shirshalombuffalo.org for the Zoom link to this free event.