Elizabeth Pulanco/ Winonan

As a part of their Great River Reading Series, Winona State University invited poet Patricia Kirkpatrick to read several poems from her latest book “Odessa.”

Kirkpatrick, a poet from the Twin Cities whose work has won the “Lindquist and Vennum Poetry Prize” along with the “2013 Minnesota Book Award in Poetry,” has had her poems featured in poetry journals such as “Prairie Schooner” and “Agni Online.”

Several guests and students were interested to hear her poetry, looking for inspiration for their own work. Freshman Ana Alexander and sophomore Griffin Pedelty came to the reading for their creative writing class.

Kirkpatrick’s book “Odessa” was inspired by her trip to a small town of the same name which lies on the border of Minnesota and South Dakota.

Through the course of her poetry, she described herself entering the small town, noticing the golden grass fields and the old railroads that had been laid along the prairie. She also talked about how she could not get into the wildlife refuge after driving for three hours because it was closed.

Another section of the book was used to describe her experience with a brain tumor about the size of a baseball that had developed in her parietal lobe. The poems describe every emotion she felt during her experience while she had the tumor and after it was removed. She explained how the machines and procedures had regressed her into a childlike mentality or even made her struggle in finding her identity.

Though the subject matter indicated it had been a very stressful time for Kirkpatrick and her children, she was able to use poetry as a way of helping her through the healing process.

By including personal and compassionate poems, Kirkpatrick was able to connect with her audience on a deeper emotional level. Alexander believed poetry helps with opening up as well.

“Some people can just express themselves better through poetry,” Alexander said.

Pedelty also enjoyed the limited structure to Kirkpatrick’s poetry.

“With less structure you have the ability to say what you want and express more,” Pedelty said.

Kirkpatrick’s book also included love poems, modeled after a form of ancient Chinese poetry.