AU welcomes acclaimed spoken word performer for two-day residency Oct. 25-26

ASHLAND, Ohio – The department of languages and literatures at Ashland University is hosting a two-day fall poetry reading and residency, featuring poet, professor and acclaimed spoken word performer Ryler Dustin, on Oct. 25-26.

There will be two public events. On Tuesday, Oct. 25, Dustin will host an open mic night, presented by Sigma Tau Delta, at the auditorium in the Hawkins-Conard Student Center from 7-9 p.m. Dustin will give a reading of his own material on Wednesday, Oct. 26, at 7 p.m., in room 138 of the Dwight Schar College of Education.

Dustin is the author of the poetry collection “Heavy Lead Birdsong,” published by Write Bloody Publishing. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Dustin has represented Seattle on the final stage of the Individual World Poetry Slam and headlined at slam venues across the U.S.

A passionate educator, Dustin is also a professor at Albion College where he teaches writing and literature. He has been awarded residencies from The Kerouac Project of Orlando and the Margery Davis Boyden Wilderness Writing Residency, and his poems have appeared in such outlets as “American Life in Poetry,” “Verse Daily,” “Gulf Coast” and “The Best of Iron Horse.”

Dustin holds a Ph.D. in literature and creative writing from the University of Nebraska—Lincoln. He also completed a master’s in fine arts in creative writing at the University of Houston and a bachelor’s degree in English at Western Washington University.

Ashland University is a mid-sized, private university conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University (www.ashland.edu) values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students.