by Eilisha Dermont

CELEBRATED POET Lorna Goodison, a University of Michigan professor of English language and literature and of Afroamerican and African studies, will receive the 4th annual Shirley Verrett Award. The ceremony will take place in the Stamps Auditorium, 1226 Murfin Ave., Ann Arbor.

The U-M Women of Color in the Academy Project presents the award to a faculty member whose work—teaching performance, scholarship or service—supports the success of female students or faculty in the arts who come from diverse cultural and racial backgrounds.

Goodison is the author of 12 award-winning books of poetry, three books of short stories and the prize-winning winning memoir From Harvey River: A Memoir of My Mother and Her Island. She has received numerous awards, and her work, which has been translated into many languages, appears in the Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces, Norton Anthology of Modern and Contemporary Poetry and the HarperCollins World Reader. She divides her time between Jamaica and Ann Arbor.

The event will feature a performance by acclaimed opera singer Marcia Porter (cousin and former student of Shirley Verrett). Goodison will read a poem written for the occasion. A reception honoring Goodison will occur in the lobby immediately following the program. This event is free and open to the public.Registration is requested at http://tinyurl.com/ShirleyVerrett-2015. Attendees are encouraged to use the free shuttle, which will be available from Hill Auditorium on Central Campus to Stamps Auditorium (Walgreens Center) on North Campus. The shuttles leave promptly at 5:10 p.m. in front of Hill.