Jan Beatty Virtual Poetry Workshop and Reading January 10

On Saturday, January 10, 2026, poet Jan Beatty will conduct a virtual workshop followed by a reading as part of the Poetry Center at PCCC's Distinguished Poets Series.

Workshops via Zoom will run from 1 PM – 2:30 PM (EST) and be followed by the poet’s reading from 2:30 PM – 3 PM (ET). Poetry Center readings are always free and open to the public. Registration is required for all workshops with a fee of $20. ​You can check registration availability by emailing Cynthia Pagan at the Poetry Center.

Jan Beatty has authored eight collections of poetry and a celebrated memoir. Her eighth book, Dragstripping, was published by the University of Pittsburgh Press in 2024. Her memoir, American Bastard, won the Red Hen Nonfiction Award. Other recent books include The Body Wars and Jackknife: New and Selected Poems, which won the Paterson Poetry Prize.

Now a full-time academic, she has worked as a waitress, abortion counselor, and social worker in maximum-security prisons. Jan Jan Beatty has taught poetry for over twenty-five years at the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, and Carlow University. As a poet, she is known for her raw, unflinching exploration of class, the body, and her Pittsburgh roots.

Her website is janbeatty.com

Poetry Center readings are recorded and archived later for viewing on the Poetry Center’s YouTube channel.

View the reading live or when it is archived

Maria Gillan and Jan Beatty

The Poetry Center offers poetry writing workshops in-person and virtually in conjunction with the Distinguished Poets Reading Series. Over the years, distinguished poets have included poet laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, Inaugural poets and others of national and international reputation, such as Allen Ginsberg, William Stafford, Amiri Baraka, Lucille Clifton, Stanley Kunitz, Billy Collins, Marge Piercy, Mark Doty, Marie Howe, Kim Addonizio, Billy Collins, Dorianne Laux, Jan Beatty, Robert Sward, Patricia Smith, Martín Espada, Toi Derricotte and Richard Blanco.

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Maria Mazziotti Gillan's newest poetry collection is When the Stars Were Still Visible (2021). Other recent publications are the poetry and photography collection, Paterson Light and Shadow, and the poetry collections What Blooms in Winter and The Girls in the Chartreuse Jackets, a pairing of her poems with her paintings.
Maria's artist website is MariaMazziottiGillan.com and her poetry website is MariaGillan.com.

Italian Diaspora Studies Writing Seminar 2026

The Italian Diaspora Studies Writing Seminar for 2026 will be held in Cetraro (CS), Calabria, Italy, May 18-24, 2026. Maria Mazziotti Gillan has taught in this program several times and highly recommends the program and experience. Maria says, "It’s a wonderful place to write and visit, and it should be an excellent workshop. I hope you all will think about going."

This residential writing seminar will be held at the Grand Hotel San Michele, located in Cetraro (CS), on the Northern Tyrrhenian coast of Calabria, May 18-24, 2026. This program is a collaborative project with the Ferrucci Institute for Italian Experience and Research at Chapman University, Orange, CA, USA.

The purpose of the seminar is to provide participants with a unique experience. A select group of established writers and motivated, aspiring writers, not only of Italian descent, will gather at the beautiful and peaceful Grand Hotel San Michele to learn about the Italian diaspora and focus on writing while exchanging ideas, memories, and emotions with a vibrant group of peers.

Cetraro is a small town, a borgo, rich in history and natural beauty, with a stunning view of the coast. The historic Grand Hotel San Michele is recognized as one of the best in the Calabrian region. Because of the beauty and solitude of its mountain-top location, it is an ideal place to learn, write, reflect, relax, and enjoy stimulating conversation with a committed group of participants. The property includes a large farm, golf course, swimming pool, and a private beach reachable by elevator down through the cliffside. The hotel’s restaurant uses its own farm-grown products, including vegetables, fruit, olive oil, and wine. The cuisine is of high quality, local, seasonal and organic.

For full information, see IDSWS 2026-Program — Italian Diaspora Studies  

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Maria Mazziotti Gillan's newest poetry collection is When the Stars Were Still Visible (2021). Other recent publications are the poetry and photography collection, Paterson Light and Shadow, and the poetry collections What Blooms in Winter and The Girls in the Chartreuse Jackets, a pairing of her poems with her paintings.
Maria's artist website is MariaMazziottiGillan.com and her poetry website is MariaGillan.com.

Martín Espada and Dante Di Stefano December 6 in Paterson

The Poetry Center offers poetry writing workshops in-person and virtually in conjunction with the Distinguished Poets Reading Series. Over the years, distinguished poets have included poet laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, Inaugural poets and others of national and international reputation, such as Allen Ginsberg, William Stafford, Amiri Baraka, Lucille Clifton, Stanley Kunitz, Billy Collins, Marge Piercy, Mark Doty, Marie Howe, Kim Addonizio, Billy Collins, Dorianne Laux, Robert Sward, Patricia Smith, Martín Espada, Toi Derricotte and Richard Blanco.

The first event of the new season will be on December 6, 2025, and feature Martín Espada and Dante Di Stefano. 

In-person workshops will be held in Academic Hall on the PCCC main campus. Afterwards, we invite you to join us for an hour of socializing and refreshments in the nearby Paterson Room. Readings by Martín and Dante will also take place in the Paterson room at 1 pm. After which, there will be a book signing by the Distinguished Poets, and the mic will open up for anyone who wants to share their poetry. 

All readings are free and open to the public. Readings are recorded and archived for viewing on the Poetry Center’s YouTube channel.

There is limited enrollment, and workshops generally fill up, so register early. For full information, open the registration form link below. Check on registration availability by emailing Cynthia Pagan at the Poetry Center.

Martín Espada’s new book of poems from Knopf is called Jailbreak of Sparrows. His previous book of poems, Floaters, won the National Book Award. He has received the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize, the Shelley Memorial Award, a Letras Boricuas Fellowship, and a Guggenheim Fellowship. He teaches at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

Dante Di Stefano is the author of five poetry collections and a chapbook, including, most recently, the book-length poem, The Widowing Radiance (Bordighera Press, 2025). His writing has appeared in American Poetry Review, Best American Poetry 2018, Poem-a-Day, Prairie Schooner, The Writer’s Chronicle, and elsewhere. He has won the Auburn Witness Poetry Prize, the Manchester Poetry Prize (UK), the Thayer Fellowship in the Arts, and many more awards. He co-edited the anthology Misrepresented People (NYQ Books, 2018). He teaches high school English in Endicott, NY, and lives in Endwell, New York, with his wife, Christina, their daughter, Luciana, their son, Dante Jr., and their goldendoodle, Sunny.

The college is limiting the number of attendees for all the events, so registration is required and limited for workshops. ​Everyone visiting the Poetry Center for workshops and readings should be vaccinated. Coffee, tea, and a light breakfast will be provided for workshop participants. Poets will give a poetry reading following their workshop. 

Directions and parking information

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Maria Mazziotti Gillan's newest poetry collection is When the Stars Were Still Visible (2021). Other recent publications are the poetry and photography collection, Paterson Light and Shadow, and the poetry collections What Blooms in Winter and The Girls in the Chartreuse Jackets, a pairing of her poems with her paintings.
Maria's artist website is MariaMazziottiGillan.com and her poetry website is MariaGillan.com.