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Simmons College to Host Award-Winning Poet and Author, Feb. 21

BOSTON (February 15, 2008) — Award-winning poet, author, and civil rights activist Sonia Sanchez will read from her work, Feb. 21 at 6 p.m. at Simmons College.  The event, hosted by the Simmons College Zora Neale Hurston Literary Center, will be held in the Linda K. Paresky Conference Center, Main College Building, 300 The Fenway, in Boston.  It is free and open to the public.

Sanchez, most noted for her activism for racial and gender equality during the Black Arts Movement, began publishing her poems in the 1960s.  Her poems have appeared in journals, such as the "Liberator" and the "Journal of Black Poetry."  Her first book, "Homecoming," was published in 1969.  Sanchez also has published three books for children and written six plays. Additionally, she has written columns for "Muhammad Speaks" newspaper, the "American Poetry Review," and the "Philadelphia Daily News." Sanchez has received grants and fellowship awards from PEN American Center, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Institute of Arts and Letters, and the Pew Charitable Trusts.

The Zora Neale Hurston Literary Center at Simmons College provides a forum for contemporary poets, playwrights, and writers who represent diverse cultural perspectives.  Drawing inspiration from the life and work of Zora Neale Hurston - a novelist, folklorist, playwright, journalist, and critic who was the most prolific black woman writer in America during the first half of the 20th century - the Center works to cultivate literary awareness and cultural diversity at Simmons and the Boston community.  The Center offers an ongoing calendar of author readings and literary events that are open to the general public. 

Due to construction, parking is limited.  For alternative options, please visit the Simmons parking website. For more information, contact Erin Nichols at 617-521-2220, or visit the Zora Neale Hurston Literary Center website.