MONACA, Pa. — Erin Murphy, the 2026-27 Penn State Laureate, will present “With These Hands: A Collaborative Poetry Experience” at 12 p.m. on Oct 29 in the Student Union Building Lodge at Penn State Beaver.
Murphy will read from her latest books, “The Book of Jobs: Poems About Work” and “Swoon: New & Selected Poems,” and discuss the applications of poetry across a wide range of majors and careers, including engineering, criminal justice, healthcare and the social sciences. Attendees will have the opportunity to create their own lines of poetry which they may submit to Murphy’s “With These Hands” Laureate Poetry Project.
Murphy is professor of English at Penn State Altoona and the author or editor of 16 books. During her tenure as Laureate, she is conducting presentations and workshops throughout Pennsylvania. A full schedule is available online. At the end of her term, she will compose a poem using lines written by students, faculty, staff, and community members from across the state.
The Penn State Laureate is a full-year position awarded to a full-time faculty member in the humanities or arts, designed to bring greater visibility to the arts, humanities, and broader University mission. Each laureate brings a unique scholarly or artistic perspective to a wide variety of audiences across Pennsylvania.