The Omnibus

Issue date: 10/5/07 Section: Gallery

Media Credit: Jessica Oliver Poet Andrew Hudgins reads his original works for SBU students at the Barnett-Padget Literary Series. Hudgins came to campus Thursday Sept. 27. [Click to enlarge]

Newport Theater Thursday, Sept. 27 to listen to poetry readings from Andrew Hudgins as a part of the Barnett-Padgett Literary Series.
Hudgins, a professor of English at Ohio State University, read poetry from two of his five published books of poetry. His soothing poet voice read poems mostly from his latest book, published in 2003, called "Ecstatic in the Poison," but he also pulled an oldie from "Babylon in Jar."
Hudgins spoke with confidence and deliberation, allowing the audience to absorb each line of poetry he read. Hudgins' delivery of his anecdotes between poems was funny and entertaining. These anecdotes also helped the audience get to know Hudgins as a person as well as providing background and context to the poems.
Hudgins' poetry ranges across many different topics. He says he pulls inspiration for his poems from everywhere including his dreams. Many of the poems Hudgins read were drawn from personal experiences that he shared with the audience before reading.
Hudgins opened the poetry reading by telling a story from his childhood of how he would play with the neighborhood kids behind trucks that poured clouds of gas into the street. He realized later in life that these trucks were pouring out pesticides. This experience was the basis for the title of his poetry book as well as a poem "Ecstatic in the Poison."
Other poems Hudgins read included "Day job and Night job," a poem about being in college; "The Cadillac in the Attic," "Grandma's Toenails," "The God of Frenzies," "In the Cool of the Evening," a poem based on God walking through the Garden of Eden in Genesis; "Asleep with the Dog" and many more. Hudgins even gave the audience the treat of hearing some unpublished poems including "My Daughter" and "March."
After the poetry reading, Hudgins met with some students and faculty to have an informal discussion on poetry. Those who did not attend the poetry discussion, left with a little extra culture under their belts and maybe a new-found appreciation of poetry.

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