
Background
MFA, UNCW 1999
MA, UNCW 1992
BA, UNCW 1986
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On teaching
My primary teaching interest lies in the poetry writing workshop, which goes hand in hand with the study of contemporary poetry. Every student who writes should be aware of current trends in literature since we are eachstriving to be part of that conversation. I have a fascination with poetry based on historical topics, such as A. Van Jordan's MacNolia, Natasha Trethewey's Native Guard or Bellocq's Ophelia, and Nicole Cooley's The Afflicted Girls. Writers creating this type of poetry face a different set of challenges than those working with more directly personal poems. On the other hand, I have an ongoing interest in the history and current practice of confessional poetry, from the work of Robert Lowell and Anne Sexton, to that of Nancy Pearson and Nick Flynn. I believe that these diverse interests speak to that which is energizing about contemporary poetry: whatever your personal aesthetic,you won't have to look hard to find compelling work that can provide both inspiration and sustenance for your artistic endeavors.
Download an excerpt of Lavonne Adams's work (pdf) |
Awards
Artist in Residence, Harwood Museum of Art, University of New Mexico Taos, 2007
Winner of the 2007 Pearl Poetry Prize
Winner of the 2004 Randall Jarrell/Harperprints Poetry Chapbook Competition
The Eighth Persephone Poetry Book Publication Award, 1999
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Publications
Everyday Still Life (North Carolina Writers' Network, 1999)
In the Shadow of the Mountain (North Carolina Writers' Network, 2004)
Through the Glorieta Pass (Pearl Books, 2009)

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