About

Born in Windom, MN January 5, 1948; Married, two children.

EDUCATION

B.A., 1970, Bethel College, St. Paul, MN. English.

M.F.A., 1984, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI. Creative Writing.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE (since 1990)

2010-2012  Professor, English Department, Aquinas College

1998-2010  Associate Professor, English Department, Aquinas College

2009  Faculty and Program Director, Semester-in-Ireland Program, Aquinas College, Tullycross, County Galway, Ireland.

2004  Faculty and Program Director, Semester-in-Ireland Program, Aquinas College, Tullycross, County Galway, Ireland.

1999  Faculty and Program Director, Semester-in-Ireland Program, Aquinas College, Tullycross, County Galway, Ireland.

1994-1998  Assistant Professor, English Department, Aquinas College

1986-present  Emeritus College (OLLI) Aquinas College (writing courses)

1994  Faculty and Program Director, Semester-in-Ireland Program, Aquinas College, Tullycross, County Galway, Ireland.

1993-95  Forest Hills Community Education, Seniors Program, Forest Hills, MI

1993  Visiting Assistant Professor, Departments of English and Humanities, Aquinas College.

1992  Faculty and Program Director, Semester-in-Ireland Program, Aquinas College, Tullycross, County Galway, Ireland.

1991-93  Adjunct Assistant Professor, Departments of English and Humanities, Aquinas College.

1990  Adjunct Instructor, Kendall College of Art and Design.

1984-90  Senior Lecturer, Department of English, Aquinas College.

2002-2012  Annual Poetry Workshops, Fredrick Meijer Garden and Sculpture Park, Grand Rapids, MI.

2009  Presented a Writers’ Workshop for Clifden Writers’ Group, Clifden, County Galway, Ireland

1996-2008  Presenter for Calvin College Middle and High School Workshops

2006  Presentation, with sculptor Ron Pederson, “Collaborative Art and Poetry,” Grand Rapids Art Museum, Grand Rapids, MI.

2005  Judge, Hope College literary magazine (Opus) poetry award

Judge: On the Town Magazine Poetry Competition

2004  Judge, Ina Coolbrith Circle 85th Annual Poetry Contest (California)

1993-2003  Poet-in-the-Schools Resident Poet, Belmont Elementary School, Rockford, MI; Breton Downs and Wealthy Elementary Schools, E. Grand Rapids, MI.

2002  Memoir Writing Presentation, sponsored by Peninsula Writers at Schuler Books & Music, Grand Rapids, MI.

Memoir Writing Presentations in three Kent County libraries

2001  Ladies Literary Club presentation: Words for the Journey, co-presented with Pamela Waterbury, Grand Rapids, MI.

2000  Presenter-Hope College freshman seminar course

Keynote co-presenter for Women in Literature Conference, University of Nevada, Reno.

Symposium Panelist: The Potential of the Human Spirit, sponsored by Circle Theater in response to performance of production titled W;T

Presenter, Irish Heritage Society (Celebrating Today’s Irish Poets), Grand Rapids, MI.

Coordinator of multi-media event, The Art of Living, the Art of Dying, Aquinas College, Grand Rapids MI.

1999  “Poetry in the Museum”-six poetry workshops at the Grand Rapids Art Museum for Grand Rapids Public school children.

Presented a Writers’ Workshop for Letterfrack Writers’ Group, Letterfrack, County Galway, Ireland.

Interviewed with Ron Pederson on Connemara Public Radio (Ireland) on the topic of collaboration in visual art and poetry.

Commissioned by Spectrum Health to write a poem commemorating the groundbreaking of the Renucci Hospitality House (etched in cornerstone)

Presenter for “Teachers of Quality”(Strategies for Teaching Students to Write Well), Aquinas College, Grand Rapids, MI.

1998  Lecturer on poetry/sculpture collaboration, Ferris State University, Big Rapids, MI.

1997-8  Poet-in-Residence, “Building Community Through the Arts School Project”East Oakview Elementary, Northview, MI.

1997  Presenter, Aquinas College Lecture Series

1996  Book Discussion Facilitator, “The Reading Group, “Schuler Books & Music, Grand Rapids, MI

Judge, Bookman Bookstore’s Annual Winterfest Writers’ Contest, Grand Haven, MI

1988,90  Poet-in-Residence, Delta-Schoolcraft ISD, Escanaba, MI, Michigan Council for the Arts).

1989-90  Artist-in-the-Schools, Forest Hills School District, Grand Rapids, MI. (Funding: Michigan Council for the Arts and National Endowment for the Arts).

Presentation and poetry reading, Calvin College, visiting artist in Dr. David Hoekema’s Aesthetics course, Grand Rapids, MI.

Mentor for Schuler Books & Music High School Writers’ Day, Grand Rapids, MI.

1992-93, 95  Manager of Kent County Dyer-Ives Poetry Competition, Grand Rapids, MI

1993, 95  Presenter for the State Council for Exceptional Children Convention, Grand Rapids, MI

1991 Visiting Scholar, Schoenhals Fine Arts Symposium, Greenville College, Greenville, IL.

1990  Presenter, Western Michigan Genealogical Society, St. Joseph, MI.

1990-93, 95  Presenter for Inter-Institutional Teacher Education Council of West Michigan, Aquinas College, Grand Rapids MI.

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

1996-2008  Board member, Grand Rapids Area Council for the Humanities

2000  President, Grand Rapids Area Council for the Humanities

1982-2012  Listed in A DIRECTORY OF AMERICAN POETS AND WRITERS

Poets and Writers, Inc. NY, NY.

1996- 2005  Teachers and Writers Collaborative

1997-1998  National Council for Teachers of English

1990-1994  Board Member, Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts

READINGS (since 1990)

2015 Coming Home, with artist Sandra Wilcoxin & musician Ric Troll, Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts

2013 Launch Reading for Poetry in MICHIGAN in Poetry (Anthology), East Grand Rapids Library

2012 Poetry Conference reading, Grand Rapids Community College, Grand Rapids MI. Aquinas College, Grand Rapids, MI.

2011  Kalamazoo Public Library, Kalamazoo, MI.

2008  Frederick Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, Grand Rapids, MI.

2006  Ludington Poetry Series, Ludington, MI.

2005  Frederick Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, Grand Rapids, MI.

2004  East Congregational Church, Grand Rapids, MI.

Bookman Bookstore, Grand Haven, MI.

Athene Book Shop, Kalamazoo, MI.

2003  Grace Episcopal Church, Grand Rapids, MI.

2001  Opera House, Detroit, MI.

Athena Book Shop, Kalamazoo, MI.

1992-2012  Nine readings, Schuler Books & Music, Grand Rapids, MI.

1998  Rankin Center Gallery, Big Rapids, MI.

“Festival ‘98″ reading, Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts, Grand Rapids, MI.

1997  Champaign Public Library, Champaign, IL. (for National Poetry Month)

1996  Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, Butterworth Hospital Benefactors Society Dinner, Grand Rapids, MI.

Grand Rapids Public Museum, “Rescuers of the Holocaust” program, Grand Rapids, MI

Frederick Meijer Gardens, Summer Solstice Breakfast

1994  Vineyard Coffee House, Grand Rapids, MI.

1993  Guild House, Ann Arbor, MI.

Aquinas College, Grand Rapids, MI.

1991  Grand Rapids Art Museum, Grand Rapids, MI.

Greenville College, Greenville, IL.

1990  Aquinas College, Grand Rapids, MI.

Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo, MI.

PUBLICATIONS

Book

This Brief Light, Finishing Line Press, 2003 (chapbook)

Journals, Magazines, Anthologies

Lake Street Review (two issues), Minneapolis, MN, 1976

RiversEdge, Edinberg, TX, 1977

Cedar Rock, New Braunfels, TX, 1977

Sing Heavenly Muse, Minneapolis, MN, 1978

A Change in Weather, Midwestern Women’s Poetry Anthology, Eau Claire, WI, 1978

Corridors, Detroit, MI, 1979

Primavera, Chicago, IL, 1981

Passages North, Escanaba, MI, 1982,84,85,87,93

Green River Review, Saginaw, MI, 1982

The Small Towner, Glen Arbor, MI, 1985

Milkweed Chronicle, Minneapolis, MN, 1985

Woman Poet: The Midwest (anthol.), Reno, Nevada, 1985

The Third Coast: Contemporary Michigan Poets, Detroit, MI, 1989

The McGuffin, Livonia, MI, 1990

Poets On, Mill Valley, CA, 1990

Passages North Anthology, Minneapolis, MN, 1990

Mount Olive Review, Mount Olive, NC, 1992, 1994

In the West of Ireland: Enright House Poetry Annual, Dromlought, Lisselton, County Kerry, Ireland, 1992

The Virago Book of Birth Poetry(anthol.), Virago Press of London, 1994

Christianity and Literature (journal), University of Delaware, Newark, 1994

Sky, Muskegon, MI, 1996, 1997

Mothers & Daughters Together (anthol), Shaw Publishing ,1999

Oregon Extension Journal, Lincoln, Oregon, 1999

Essential Love (anthol) Poetworks Publications (2000)

New Poems from the Third Coast: Contemporary Michigan Poets (anthology) Wayne State University Press. 2000

Conversing with Mystery, sound recording for Hospice Poetry Recording Project, Seattle, WA. 2000

Math Horizons (poem featured in article), 2001

Bardsong (journal), 2004

Growing a Masterpiece: Frederick Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park(10th Anniversary Commemorative Edition, commissioned poem)

Driftwood Review: A Review of Michigan Poetry (#9), 2008

The Cresset : A Review of Literature, the Arts, and Public Affairs, 2008

Poetry & Sculpture: Poetry Based on the Works of Sculptor Jaume Plensa, 2008

Song of the Owashtanong: Grand Rapids Poetry in the 21st Century (anthology), 2012

Poetry in MICHIGAN in Poetry (anthology) New Issues Press,  2013

Reckless Writing Poetry Anthology, Chatterhouse Press, 2013 (forthcoming)

A Year of Being Here (web publication), What is Our Deepest Desire? October 2013 

Film

Evidence of Things Unseen, Don Kerr Productions, Grand Rapids, MI, 2005

HONORS AND AWARDS

1984,85  Cranbrook Writers’ Conference Scholarship.

1984  First Place Winner of Kent County Poetry Competition.

1989,90,2004  Faculty Development Grants, Aquinas College.

1993  Honorable Mention, “National Poet Hunt” Competition, The McGuffin, Schoolcraft College, Livonia, MI.

1997  Honorable Mention, “Renaissance Garden” exhibition, Grand Rapids Art Museum

(collaborative work , poetry, with Dana Freeman, sculpture)

2003  Sabbatical leave, Aquinas College, Grand Rapids, MI.

EXHIBITS IN COLLABORATION WITH VISUAL ART

2015 Still Dancing: Collaborative Sculpture & Poems by Ron & Miriam Pederson, Aquinas College Art & Music Center Gallery, Grand Rapids, MI.

2012 “What” series of sculpture and poems, Ryerson Library, Grand Rapids Community College, Grand Rapids, MI

2012  Grand Rapids Public Museum, ArtPrize IV exhibit, Grand Rapids, MI.

2011  Westminster Presbyterian Church, ArtPrize III exhibit, Grand Rapids, MI.

2010  Cathedral Square ArtPrize II exhibit, Diocese of Grand Rapids, MI.

2009 Cathedral Square ArtPrize I exhibit, Diocese of Grand Rapids, MI.

2009  Poetry and Sculpture Collaboration, Grand Rapids Community College Gallery, Grand Rapids, MI

2008  Poetry and Sculpture Collaboration, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Grand Rapids, MI.

2004  Poetry and Sculpture Collaboration: EVIDENCE OF THINGS UNSEEN, (gallery exhibit of broadsides containing poetry by Miriam Pederson and sculpture by Ron Pederson), Aquinas College, Grand Rapids, MI.

1999  Poetry exhibited in collaboration with Dana Freeman’s installation, Aquinas Art Department Faculty Exhibit, Art and Music Center Gallery, Grand Rapids MI.

1999 Poetry exhibited in collaboration with collages by Ron Pederson, Spectrum Health Gallery, Grand Rapids, MI.

1998  Rankin Center Gallery, Ferris State University, Big Rapids, MI. Collaborative exhibition of poetry and sculpture.

1997  Poetry and Sculpture Collaboration: ENDURING CONVERSATIONS, Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts, Grand Rapids, MI.

1997 Poetry and Sculpture Collaboration: DOUBLETAKE, Aquinas College Art and Music Center Gallery, Grand Rapids, MI.

1995  Poetry and Sculpture Collaboration: THE WEST OF IRELAND, Marywood Gallery, Dominican Center, Grand Rapids, MI.

1991  Collaboration: Exhibition of Sculpture and Poetry, Greenville College Gallery for Schoenhals Fine Arts Symposium, Greenville, IL.

1989  Poetry and Sculpture Collaboration: THE ADDING WE DO IN OUR SLEEP (gallery exhibit of broadsides containing poetry by Miriam Pederson and sculpture by Ron Pederson), Aquinas College Art and Music Center Gallery, Grand Rapids, MI.