Debra Marquart visits Grand Valley

Debra Marquart, musician, and writer of fiction and poetry, will speak on Tuesday, April 5 at the Grand Valley Alumni House. Marquart is the poetry editor of Flyway Literary Review, an associate professor of English and coordinator of the Creative Writing Program at Iowa State University.

Her collection of short stories, "The Hunger Bone: Rock & Roll Stories" draws from her experiences as a female road musician with heavy metal bands. Marquart continues to perform with a jazz-poetry rhythm & blues project, "The Bone People," with whom she released two CDs in 1996: acoustic rock "Orange Parade" and jazz-poetry "A Regular Dervish." Marquart's poetry collections include "Everything's a Verb" and "From Sweetness."

Marquart's presentation will be preceded by short readings by several winners of the annual "Fishladder" Editor's Prize. "Fishladder" is the Grand Valley student literary magazine. Also on display will be artworks and photographs included in the new 2005 issue of "Fishladder," which will be unveiled that night.

Events begin at 7 p.m., are free and open to the public. For more information contact Chris Haven, "Fishladder" faculty advisor at 616-331-3190.