2026 Texas Poet Laureate Visits Campus on Thursday
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By Leah Lovato ’29 and Lina Paykar ’29
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Poet and novelist Kevin Prufer will visit Whitman College as part of the Visiting Writers Reading Series on Thursday, April 9, at 7 p.m. in Kimball Theatre in Hunter Conservatory. Prufer will read from his work and answer questions from the audience. The event is free and open to the Whitman community and the public, and is especially encouraged for students and faculty interested in Creative Writing.
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Prufer is the 2026 Texas Poet Laureate and the author of numerous books of poetry and fiction. His most recent poetry collection, “The Fears” (Copper Canyon Press, 2023), received the 2024 Rilke Prize and offers an intimate meditation on mortality, memory, and legacy through narratives and lyric experimentation. His 2018 poetry collection, “How He Loved Them”(Four Way Books), was longlisted for the 2019 Pulitzer Prize.
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Prufer’s most recent novel, “Sleepaway” (Acre Books, 2024), was described by the Los Angeles Times as a “small press gem.” Set in a small town altered by mysterious sleep-inducing mists, the novel serves as an allegory for post-pandemic America, exploring fear, loss, friendship and survival amid social collapse.
He has two forthcoming books in 2027: “Good People: Poems” (Copper Canyon Press) and “Summer of Shooting Stars: A Novel” (Slant Books).
Born in Cleveland, Prufer now lives in Houston, where he teaches in the Creative Writing Program at the University of Houston and in low-residency Master of Fine Arts programs at Lesley University and Holy Family University. He is also an editor and literary advocate. He co-directs the Unsung Masters Series, which republishes the work of overlooked American poets, and previously served as editor of Pleiades: A Journal of New Writing.
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April is National Poetry Month
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The Visiting Writers Reading Series (VWRS) invites the Whitman community to celebrate poetry all month long through these free community events. (Flyer attached.)
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- Wednesday, April 8, at 7 p.m.
Washington State Poet Laureate Derek Sheffield
Gesa Power House Theatre (not sponsored by Whitman)
- Thursday, April 9, at 7 p.m.
Texas Poet Laureate Kevin Prufer (VWRS)
Hunter Conservatory, Kimball Theatre
- Tuesday, April 14, at 7 p.m.
“Hold Fast to Dreams: The Poetry of Langston Hughes”
Olin Hall, Room 129
- Thursday, April 23, at 7 p.m.
Maya Jewell Zeller (VWRS)
Hunter Conservatory, Kimball Theatre
- Thursday, April 30, at 7 p.m.
Whitman student poets read from their own work (VWRS)
Hunter Conservatory, Kimball Theatre
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President Bolton Holds Open Office Hours for Staff Tomorrow
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President Bolton will hold open office hours for staff members on Tuesday, April 7, from noon–1 p.m. in the Lizzie Murr Dining Room at Cleveland Commons. This is an informal opportunity for conversation. Feel free to bring your lunch!
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Internships Available for Students
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Are you looking for a summer internship? The Career and Community Engagement Center encourages students to review this list of currently unfilled internships. These internships are unpaid by the employer, but students can apply for a Whitman Internship Grant to fund their experience. Opportunities range from Walla Walla organizations and remote-work internships to a stream restoration project in northern Washington to a food justice nonprofit in Seattle. To be eligible for a Whitman Internship Grant, students need to have their resume reviewed and attend an information session—the last of which happens on Thursday, April 16. Questions? Contact Nadine Stecklein, Associate Director for Employer Engagement and Internship Programs.
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Whitties Helping Whitties Event on Friday
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Current Whitman students are invited to attend Whitties Helping Whitties, hosted by the Career and Community Engagement Center and Alumni Relations, on Friday, April 10, from 4–5:30 p.m. at Cordiner Hall. This event is a great opportunity to connect with other students and build your professional network with Whitman alumni. Free LinkedIn portraits will also be available for students attending the event. Register in advance on Handshake. (Flyer attached.)
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Resume Challenge Opens for Students
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The Career and Community Engagement Center is accepting submissions for the seventh annual Resume Challenge from today through Friday, April 17, at noon. All submitted resumes will be reviewed and students will receive feedback by the following week. Four winners, one from each class, will be awarded a deluxe Lego set. (Flyer attached.)
Learn more about building and polishing your resume with the Student Career Advisors during a Resume Workshop on Wednesday, April 8, from 4:30–5:30 p.m. in Reid 207. Free mini Lego succulents (while supplies last) for attendees.
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Last week, students in the PHYS-245 20th Century Physics course, taught by Andrés Aragoneses, the Benjamin Brown Associate Professor of Physics, delivered quick “elevator pitch” presentations—on topics such as time dilation and quantum entanglement—at the Walla Walla Public Library. See more photos on Instagram.
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Sherwood Athletic Center, Room 114
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Reid Side Lawn or Sherwood 114
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Reid Campus Center, Reid Market
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President Bolton’s Open Office Hours for Staff
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Cleveland Commons, Lizzie Murr Dining Room
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Sherwood Athletic Center, Room 106
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Reid Campus Center, Side Lawn
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Sherwood Athletic Center, Room 114
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Reid Campus Center, Room 207
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Reid Side Lawn or Sherwood 114
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Hall of Science, Room 159
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Sherwood Athletic Center, Room 114
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Cleveland Commons, Lizzie Murr Dining Room
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St. Francis Cabrini Food Pantry
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Glover Alston Intercultural Center
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Reid Campus Center, Lower Level
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Hunter Conservatory, Kimball Theatre
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Sherwood Athletic Center, Room 114
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Welty Health and Counseling Center
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Welty Health and Counseling Center, Wellnest
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Reid Campus Center, Young Ballroom
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Would you like to share an event with campus? Submit the information to the Events Calendar.
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Whitman Today is emailed to Whitman College staff, faculty and students each weekday during the academic year and twice a week during breaks. An archive of previous issues is available online.
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