WYOMISSING, Pa. — Erin Murphy, the 2026-27 Penn State Laureate, will present “With These Hands: A Collaborative Poetry Experience” at 12:15 p.m., Monday, Sept. 21, in the Perkins Student Center Multipurpose Room. A reception will follow with light refreshments. This event is free and open to the public. .
Murphy will read from and discuss her latest publications, “The Book of Jobs: Poems About Work” and “Swoon: New & Selected Poems.” During Murphy’s presentation, titled “With These Hands: A Collaborative Poetry Experience,” attendees will have the opportunity to create their own lines of poetry.
Later in the afternoon, in the Perkins Lobby, Murphy will conduct a "Pop-up Poetry Fortune Teller Booth" to engage with students. Students, faculty and staff will be able to get their "fortunes" told based on one of Murphy’s poems. Murphy will also spend time interacting with students in a classroom setting, providing an additional opportunity to share her work and experiences with students during her visit.
A professor of English at Penn State Altoona, Murphy is the author or editor of 16 books. During her tenure as Penn State Laureate, she is conducting presentations and workshops throughout the state. At the end of her term, she will compose a collaborative poem from lines written by students, faculty and staff from across the university.
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.
For more information about this event, contact Tara Beecham, associate teaching professor of English, at TMB26@psu.edu.