The literary likes of award-winning Southern poet and creative nonfiction writer Sheryl St. Germain will grace the State Library on Friday for a one-time event.
Let It Be a Dark Roux: Louisiana Poems and Stories, an event directed to all literature-enthused community members, is part of a series of readings and discussions put on for all interested Baton Rougeans.
Works featured at the event are bound to encapsulate the essence of Southern literature with a focus on life in the state of Louisiana.
St. Germain, the featured author of Let It Be a Dark Roux, said in an e-mail to The Daily Reveille that University students should attend because she guarantees the event will be emotion-provoking.
“[I am] a native Louisianan who writes in a vibrant and direct way about Lousiana,” she said. “I’ll make LSU students laugh and cry, and that’s a promise.”
St. Germain said she delves into topics that typically evoke fear in readers.
“I’m not afraid to write about the scary things — addiction, alcoholism and disasters of all sorts, but I find much to laugh about as well,” she said.
Students should expect poems that “challenge them to their core,” St. Germain said.
“The audience will learn new ways of thinking about Louisiana, both the positive and tragic sides of the culture,” she said. ”For those who don’t think they like poetry, they will leave loving it.”
St. Germain said she stands out among other Southern authors because she has remained true to her roots.
“[I am] one of a very few Louisiana authors who has left the state but continued to write passionately about the culture, the people and the landscape,” she said. “[I am] a native of New Orleans, and my voice and aesthetic have clearly been shaped by this culture.”
Rebecca Hamilton, state librarian, said in an e-mail to The Daily Reveille the State Library is hosting the event through the Louisiana Center for the Book.
“This program offers LSU students a somewhat unique opportunity to hear an award-winning poet and essayist discuss the art and craft of writing,” Hamilton said.
The author will present a reading and discussion of her published work as well as new work to be featured in her upcoming book, which will be followed by a question and answer session at the end of her presentation, Hamilton said.
“It is quite common that the author makes time to talk with attendees on a one-on-one basis,” she said.
Hamilton said the best thing about Let It Be a Dark Roux is the author can interact with and relate to those who choose to participate.
“Students and other attendees will be able to experience the relationship of her work to the author’s personal life and loss, writing as an outlet of expression for grief and loss,” she said.
Let It Be a Dark Roux is important to Southern culture because it promotes a greater interest in the literature of Louisiana, according to Hamilton.
“The focus of the discussion is the impact of being a native Louisianan on [St. Germain’s] work,” she said.