Noted poets and authors Sterling Plumpp and Patrick M. Oliver will present a book signing at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 20, in Ayer Hall on the main campus of Jackson State University
Sterling Plumpp, also an essayist, is a native Mississippian with several books, including Home/Bass, Ornate with Smoke, Black Rituals and Blues Narratives. His book Velvet Bebop Kente Cloth is the third in a trilogy of poetic works created to allow readers to explore the language of music articulated through the nuances of jazz, blues and bebop.
Plumpp is professor emeritus at the University of Illinois Chicago and the Sterling D. Plumpp Collection, which contains works by African- and Afro-American writers that reside at the University of Mississippi.
Meanwhile, Patrick Oliver is a program manager and literary consultant dedicated to promoting reading and writing as tools of empowerment. Through a variety of innovative projects, Oliver engages children, youth and adults in activities such as writing workshops, author talks, book discussions, professional development sessions and community forums.