As part of the Poet Laureate’s Writing Series, a new poet or prose writer will be featured the first Tuesday of each month until June 2013. The reading in Nov. will be moved to the first Wednesday due to elections being held on Tuesday. Each reading consists of work read by the author, followed by a time for local community members and student writers to read their work.

Professor emeritus Emilio DeGrazia, the third Poet Laureate of the city of Winona, retired from Winona State University in 2002 after 33 years in the English department. DeGrazia applied and received a grant from the Winona Arts Commission to fund the series.

The Poet Laureate is an accomplished poet who is selected with the purpose of increasing interest in reading and writing poetry in the community. This includes speaking and holding public readings and workshops.

DeGrazia shared his thoughts and praise with students and community members who read their work Tuesday evening. It’s important to show writing- in-progress “to others, strangers and friends. Listen to what they say, but with a skepticism that does not allow them to devalue what you’re doing,” he said. He urged students to keep writing “religiously.”

Katie Donovan, a senior at Winona State, said, “The readings are a great place to expand or develop one’s love of the written word and to share one’s own written word, for there is always a friendly and welcoming crowd in attendance.”

“It’s a mentally stimulating environment where you can truly feel the warm and unique community that is Winona.” Donovan works at The Book Shelf, a local bookstore attached to the Blue Heron Café, which hosts the writing series.