On Feb. 20, poet, essayist, professor and editor Sarah Ghazal Ali visited the University of Central Missouri for a reading of her poems as part of the Pleiades Visiting Writers Series.

  Students of the English department are regularly given the opportunity to meet and talk with authors as part of the Pleiades Visiting Writer Series as a way to learn from those who have been published and also form connections that are usable in their careers once they have graduated.

  Typically, the series is hosted by UCM but has also taken place at other venues, such as Rockhurst University in Kansas City for poet Carl Philips in January.

 Ali is known for her book of poems titled “Theophanies,” which earned her the Editor’s Choice for the 2022 Alice James Award. 

  A theophany is defined as a physical manifestation of a deity, a trend that is seen throughout Ali’s collection of poems. In her book, Ali creates parallels between notable women in religion and how they shape the Abrahamic faiths as people know them today.

  During the reading, Ali shared some insight into the inspiration and meaning of the poems that were read. Some poems that were read included “Roadkill Elegy,” which senior Kaitlin Carter had requested Ali to read. 

  “Roadkill Elegy is more from the perspective of everyday life and the way death is sort of de-emphasized as an important and heavy thing when it’s an animal, particularly a wild animal,” Kaitlin said.

  Sophomore Cami Weiberg had some thoughts on another poem of Ali’s, titled “Annunciation,” as well. 

  “‘Annunciation’ really stood out to me. It tells the story of another Sarah who was visited by angels before Mary was,” Cami said. “It highlighted the connection Ghazal has with her name while also highlighting how in religion a woman’s virginity holds so much of her value.”

  After the reading, Ali answered a question about her writing process.

  “In the past, I would write down everything and spend hours working on writing, but I would experience burnout doing this,” Ali said. “Now, I will jot down ideas or concepts and then explore those notes later.” 

  Pleiades is a nationally published literary magazine founded and operated out of UCM. They will continue to have authors of poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction visit throughout the rest of the semester, with the next authors being Caitlin Cowan and Brandi Wells on April 16 at 4 p.m. in the Elliott Student Union.